Gender differences in the relationship between workplace friendships and organisational outcomes

The current study investigated gender differences in (a) perceived benefits of workplace friendships and (b) the relationship between friendship factors and organisational outcomes. Four hundred and forty-five respondents completed a questionnaire which asked them to describe the benefits they received from workplace friends, and which measured workplace friendship prevalence and opportunities, workgroup cohesion, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and intention to leave. Friendships at work were found to be significantly more strongly correlated with job satisfaction for men. In addition, women were significantly more likely than men to describe the benefits of workplace friendship in terms of social and emotional support, while men were more likely to focus on the benefits friends provided them in their career or in functional aspects of “getting the job done”. Findings are discussed in the context of other organisational and gender research