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The relationship between workplace friendship and perceived job significance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Hsiao-Yen Mao ,
An-Tien Hsieh  and
Chien-Yu Chen
Hsiao-Yen Mao
Affiliation:
Department of International Trade, College of Business, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan
An-Tien Hsieh
Affiliation:
PhD Program in Management, College of Management, Da Yeh University, Changhua, Taiwan
Chien-Yu Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Marketing & Logistics Management, Chihlee Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
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Abstract

Existing research suggests that leaders/supervisors are the major persons in work organizations to promote employee perception of job significance, which is an intrinsic motivator for employee productivity. However, the literature remains unclear on the relationship between workplace friendship and perceived job significance. Results from a survey of 290 Taiwanese employees indicated that workplace friendship enhanced perceived job significance, and such enhancement did not vary across organizational levels. Our findings suggest intrinsically motivating employees through workplace friendship, which extends extant literature on work role of leaders/supervisors in employee motivation. Further, although lower organizational levels have a disadvantage of objectively less job significance in work organizations, our findings suggest workplace friendship is an effective factor in promoting employee perception of job significance. Thus, organizations can embed the mechanism of workplace friendship into the factors of job design to promote employees' intrinsic motivation and thus job and organizational productivity.

Keywords

workplace friendshipperceived job significance
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , March 2012 , pp. 247 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2012

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