Do We Need Friendship in the Workplace? The Theory of Workplace Friendship and Employee Outcomes: The Role of Work Ethics

This study builds and tests the models that two types of workplace friendships (friendship with coworkers and friendship with the supervisor) may have a negative influence on employees'job insecurity and turnover intention. Further, this study assumes that the positive association between workplace friendship with a supervisor and job performance is stronger for employees having a low work ethic than for those with a high work ethic. This study also assumes that the negative relationship between friendship with a supervisor and organizational deviance is stronger for employees who have a low work ethic but not for those with a high work ethic. To test these hypotheses, 313 data samples have been collected from service sector employees. According to the results, two types of workplace friendships (friendship with coworkers and friendship with a supervisor) are negatively related to job insecurity and turnover intention. The results also show that friendship with a supervisor was positively associated with job performance for employees having a low work ethic but not for those with a high work ethic. Furthermore, the results show that friendship with a supervisor was negatively associated with organizational deviance for employees having a low work ethic but not for those with a high work ethic. Surprisingly, the friendship with a supervisor is positively associated with organizational deviance for employees having a high work ethic.