This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Women are more likely to form close-knit friendship groups at work, a Durham University Business School study suggests. The findings are published in the journal Social Networks.
The study found female employees are more likely to build friendships through existing social connections, creating larger workplace friendship networks. These "friend of a friend" relationships are also more likely to involve other women. In contrast, men tend to develop more selective one-to-one friendships and are less likely to form relationships through mutual contacts.
The research was led by Andrew Parker, professor in leadership, alongside colleagues from William & Mary's Raymond A. Mason School of Business in the United States and Università della Svizzera Italiana in Switzerland. Researchers examined how workplace friendships develop differently among men and women by following almost 150 employees during their first 10 months in an organization.
Participants were surveyed on four occasions and asked about the friendships they had formed at work. The findings suggest women are more likely to prioritize friendship itself when forming workplace relationships. This results in stronger friendship groups and more interconnected social networks within organizations.
Men, meanwhile, appear more selective in the relationships they develop. The researchers found male employees were more likely to form individual friendships with other men. These relationships were particularly common when they were perceived to support personal or professional goals.
According to the research team, these differing approaches may influence the role friendships play within organizations. Female friendship networks were found to contribute more to organizational stability, while male friendships appeared more focused on individual benefit. The researchers suggest these patterns could have wider implications for workplace equality, including the gender pay gap.
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