Workplace friendships: Origins and consequences for managerial effectiveness

This study advances research on workplace friendships by suggesting and testing a framework that can help explain not only how friendships affect outcomes but why. Using a sample of 1057 US employees, I demonstrate that the antecedents leading to formation of a workplace friendship can explain the differential effects of workplace friendships on several job outcomes. Specifically, the findings illustrate that: 1) friendships that were formed as a result of affective reasons have the strongest effects (positive or negative) on job outcomes, 2) individuals who form friendships for instrumental reasons are more likely to be absent from work and leave the organization, 3) friendships that were formed on the basis of trust are the most beneficial for organizations. Overall, these findings illustrate that friendships and their effects are not only a function of the current relationship, but of its origins and progression. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.