scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Journal Article

Informal Relationships in the Workplace: Associations with Job Satisfaction, Organisational Commitment and Turnover Intentions

01 Jan 2005-New Zealand Journal of Psychology (New Zealand Psychological Society)-Vol. 33, Iss: 3, pp 114
TL;DR: In this article, the presence of informal relationships at work and the degree of cohesiveness perceived by individuals was investigated in two studies, and the association between relationship factors and organisational outcomes such as job satisfaction, turnover intentions and organizational commitment were assessed.
Abstract: Informal relationships between people within organisations can potentially either hinder or facilitate organisational functioning. The presence of informal relationships at work and the degree of cohesiveness perceived by individuals was investigated in two studies. The association between relationship factors and organisational outcomes such as job satisfaction, turnover intentions and organisational commitment were assessed. Study 1: Employees of a large Auckland hospital (NZ) (n=124) were surveyed using a pen and paper questionnaire. Results were analysed using path analysis and indicated that cohesiveness and opportunities for friendships were related to increased job satisfaction; leading to increased organisational commitment and decreased turnover intentions. The actual prevalence of friendships was primarily related to decreased turnover intentions. Overall there was good support for the proposed model. Study 2: To address some of the limitations of Study 1 (primarily sample size and homogeneity) a second study was conducted using an Internet based questionnaire; accessed both from within NZ and worldwide. A diverse sample of employees responded (n=412). Structural equation modelling indicated further support for most aspects of the model, suggesting that the findings are generalisable and the model is robust. ********** Numerous close friendships evolve from existing formal relationships in work places, and for many people, these relationships are maintained within the organisational setting. Yet, despite the frequency of dual friendship/work relationships, we know very little about how they function and how the blurring of relational boundaries might affect organisational functioning, the enjoyment of work, and perhaps even performance. Authors investigating workplace relationships comment on the dearth of literature in this area; there is relatively little theoretical or empirical work that has attempted to examine the behavioural or attitudinal consequences of informal relationships within the work context (Fritz, 1997; Riordan & Griffeth, 1995; Winstead, Derlega, Montgomery, & Pilkington, 1995; Zorn, 1995). In the early nineteen-thirties, Elton Mayo (1933) brought the topic of workplace relationships to wide attention, when he wrote the first management book focusing on the social needs of employees. Mayo advocated the role of socio-emotional factors in determining employee behaviour, contending that the extent to which employees received social satisfaction in the workplace was the most powerful influence on productivity. Subsequently, Maslow's (1954) classic theory of human motivation was published, which first described the "hierarchy of needs" contending that; as lower level needs (such as physiological and safety needs) are satisfied, higher level needs (such as social, esteem and self-actualisation needs) emerge as motivators. Needs have been shown to influence performance in certain jobs. For example, the opportunities to satisfy needs are still studied in organisational contexts, and are thought to be related to competence (Medcof & Hausdorf, 1995), organisational commitment (Steers, 1977; Steers & Braunstein, 1976), job satisfaction and tendency to leave (Zinovieva, ten Horn, & Roe, 1993). Thus, although the simple hierarchy that Maslow envisioned does not adequately reflect the complexity of human motivation, the philosophy still has use (Bedeian & Wren, 2001). Following this early attention to the topic however, the interest in workplace friendships waned. Although Hackman and colleagues developed the job characteristic termed "friendship opportunities" in the early seventies (Hackman & Lawler, 1971; Hackman & Oldham, 1975), it was not really until the last decade that scholars have focused on the impact of workplace friendships once again (e.g., Markiewicz, Devine, & Kausilas, 2000; Nielsen, Jex, & Adams, 2000; Riordan & Griffeth, 1995; Winstead et al. …
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a multi-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) model was developed to integrate social exchange, workplace friendship, and climate research to develop a multilevel model for interpersonal exchange between supervisors, subordinates, and coworkers at work.
Abstract: This paper seeks to advance research on interpersonal exchange relationships between supervisors, subordinates, and coworkers at work by integrating social exchange, workplace friendship, and climate research to develop a multi-level model. We tested the model using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) with data obtained from a sample of 215 manager–employee dyads working in 36 teams. At the individual level, leader–member exchange (LMX) was found to be related to workplace friendship. Further, workplace friendship was positively related to team–member exchange (TMX) and mediated the LMX–TMX relationship. At the team level, HLM results indicated that the relationship between LMX and workplace friendship was moderated by affective climate. These findings suggest that high-quality LMX relationships are associated with enhanced workplace friendship between employees, especially when the affective climate is strong.

271 citations

Book
11 Jul 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of play in the development of the child and the parallels between play, humour and dreaming, along with the altered states of consciousness generated by some psychoactive drugs are discussed.
Abstract: What role does playful behaviour and playful thought take in animal and human development? How does play relate to creativity and, in turn, to innovation? Unravelling the different meanings of 'play', this book focuses on non-aggressive playful play. The authors emphasise its significance for development and evolution, before examining the importance of playfulness in creativity. This discussion sheds new light on the links between creativity and innovation, distinguishing between the generation of novel behaviour and ideas on the one hand, and the implementation of these novelties on the other. The authors then turn to the role of play in the development of the child and to parallels between play, humour and dreaming, along with the altered states of consciousness generated by some psychoactive drugs. A final chapter looks forward to future research and to what remains to be discovered in this fascinating and important field.

204 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is argued that group boundaries and social status in the informal workplace network determine who the objects of positive and negative gossip are, and that negative gossip focuses on colleagues from the own gossiper's work group.

190 citations


Cites background from "Informal Relationships in the Workp..."

  • ...Having a favorable reputation, feelings of belongingness, and friendships at work has been found to increase performance and job satisfaction (Morrison, 2004; Sparrowe et al., 2001)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A principal-multi-agent model is developed where agents do not only engage in productive activities, but also in social interaction with their colleagues, which in turn creates co-worker altruism.
Abstract: Social interaction with colleagues is an important job attribute for many workers. To attract and retain workers, managers therefore need to think about how to create and preserve highquality co-worker relationships. This paper develops a principal-multi-agent model where agents do not only engage in productive activities, but also in social interaction with their colleagues, which in turn creates co-worker altruism. We study how financial incentives for productive activities can improve or damage the work climate. We show that both team incentives and relative incentives can help to create a good work climate. We discuss some empirical evidence supporting these predictions.

175 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results at the triad level support the social status arguments, according to which high status individuals will avoid asking advice from low status individuals, and reciprocal advice relations to be overrepresented at the dyad level.

160 citations


Cites background from "Informal Relationships in the Workp..."

  • ...The beneficial effects of advice networks on employee well-being, job satisfaction (Flap and Volker, 2001; Morrison, 2004), getting ahead (e.g. Burt, 1992; Podolny and Baron, 1997) and organizational performance (e.g. Lazega et al., 2007; Roberts and O’Reilly, 1979; Sparrowe et al., 2001) have been…...

    [...]

  • ...The beneficial effects of advice networks on employee well-being, job satisfaction (Flap and Volker, 2001; Morrison, 2004), getting ahead (e....

    [...]