tel aviv | The hit television show “The Office” is a comedy about a dysfunctional workplace and a perfect example of how not to make friends at work. But it raises some interesting questions, especially in this time of massive layoffs and unemployment. Whom should I have as friends at work? Are workplace friendships good for the organization?
Hilla Dotan of Tel Aviv University’s Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration has developed a tool that is being used to study work friendships and analyze how they affect the professional environment.
“Choosing the right friends, especially today, will not only affect your productivity, it can have direct consequences for keeping your job as companies scale down,” Dotan says. “My research is especially relevant during this uncertain fiscal reality, because people are resorting to creative tactics for keeping their job, or maintaining a company’s output.”
Dotan mapped the professional networks of 20,000 employees at both small and Fortune 500 companies in the United States, asking them to answer an online questionnaire. After identifying types of workplace relationships and the possible significance of each, Dotan developed the relational tendency tool to predict the kinds of friendships an individual is likely to form and how it would improve or detract from productivity, commitment, loyalty and turnover intentions.
The patented tool, used by headhunters, focuses mainly on healthy network building within the organization, determining not only the types of friendships a person is likely to have but also how wide the employee should cast a friendship net for job success. The tool also is useful for examining friendships strategically from the company’s side, looking at how an employee’s relationships might affect his or her performance and identifying the “weakest link” in a team.
“A good friend at work can increase my willingness to get up in the morning and commit to the company,” Dotan says, emphasizing the role of friendships in efficiency and productivity. “How does each friendship and the entire friendship network affect me? Is it good for the organization? Everyone should become aware of the importance of friendships at work and start asking these questions.”
From the employer’s point of view, the best kinds of friends an employee can have at work are “individuals who are happier with the organization and will do extra things that are not specified in their job descriptions,” Dotan says. “They are intrinsically motivated without expectation for any monetary rewards. They work for themselves and their professional identity. Essentially the organization becomes a part of them. These are the kinds of people who make attractive friends and employees.”
Although identification with the organization is important, there are other important traits to consider. A well-liked individual could be the key to holding team dynamics together. If a friend at the office leaves — or is fired — other employees could leave as well, creating a high employee turnover rate. “These individuals are not always obvious, and managers have a responsibility to understand ways to inhibit, manage and grow workplace friendships to their advantage,” she adds.
Another tip is to stay away from emotionally charged friendships. If a friendship ends for some reason, it could lead to problems at work, with your job on the line. “You should also be careful about forging strong friendships that will make you leave the organization should the other person leave or is let go,” she says.
Dotan was recruited to Tel Aviv University from UCLA Anderson School of Management. She is one of 23 handpicked faculty recruited from top research institutions around the world this year.