Baltic J. Modern Computing, Vol. 8 (2020), No. 1, 143-153 https://doi.org/10.22364/bjmc.2020.8.1.07 The Impact of Using Technology-Based Communication on Quality of Work Relationships Madara PRATT, Sarma CAKULA Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences Cēsu iela 4, Valmiera, LV - 4201, Latvija madara.pratt@va.lv, sarma@va.lv Abstract. The use of modern technologies have changed work setting and this change offers us many advantages and benefits. Technology-based communication allows to span time and distance among people. Technology development is moving at such speed that social human behavior science has not kept pace. There is enormous research on human behavior, but we lack new models for guiding managerial practices. The aim of this research is to investigate technology- based communication effect on quality of relationships within the company and the factors affecting it. It was discovered that an important factor is cultural background of the company employees – the communication style and expectations for high context and low context cultures are very different. It is clear that technology-based communication within a company is negatively affecting quality of work relationships - it means that new methods should be discovered to power up technology-based communication. IT professionals should include this knowledge in their work in order to improve communication systems. Keywords: technology-based communication, work relationships, high-context and low-context culture, computer supported cooperative work 1. Introduction The ways of communication have changed and, in turn, changed the work environment; many companies developed virtual teams with team members in different cities, countries and even continents. This has developed new and more complex challenges for leadership, because of issues arising from new communication formats (Ekeland et al., 2010). The question is how to have highly performing, motivated and satisfied employees within companies, where communication is fully or partly technology-based. Traditional relationship between employer and employee obviously has changed, but there is not a clear understanding about its replacement. We lack new models capable of guiding managerial behavior in this new era of work. Steers, Wickham and Acitelli believe that it is time to redirect intellectual energies into discovering new models and research towards new models of work motivation and job performance (Steers et al.,