Skip to main content
View expanded cover

Friendship and Social Interaction pp 185–206Cite as

Friendships in the Work Place

  • Chapter

Part of the Springer Series in Social Psychology book series (SSSOC)

Abstract

In a society in which people derive much of their identity from their occupation, the social connections made at one’s place of employment are of crucial importance. Instrumental relations occur at work, but expressive relations are found there as well. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in an academic department. Most professors are “friends” with the majority of their colleagues, sometimes associating with them outside of normal working hours and sharing activities that are not work-related. Work is frequently punctuated with acts of friendship.

Keywords

  • Sexual Harassment
  • Romantic Relationship
  • Sexual Relationship
  • Work Place
  • Sport Team

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4612-4880-4_10
  • Chapter length: 22 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-1-4612-4880-4
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Allport, G., & Postman, LJ. (1947). The psychology of rumor. New York: Holt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aran, G. (1975). Parachuting. American Journal of Sociology, 80, 124–152.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, H.S. (1960). Notes on the concept of commitment. American Journal of Sociology, 66, 32–40.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, H.S., Geer, B., Hughes, E., & Strauss, A. (1961). Boys in white: Student culture in medical school. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blau, P. (1956). Social mobility and interpersonal relations. American Sociological Review, 21, 290–295.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bogdan, R, & Taylor, S. (1975). Introduction to qualitative research methods. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradney, P. (1957). The joking relationship in industry. Human Relations, 10, 179– 187.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Burowoy, M. (1979). Manufacturing consent. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, E.G.C. & Blodgett, T.B. (1981). Sexual harassment: Some see it… some won’t. Harvard Business Review, 59, 76–95.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, E.G.C. (1984). Managers and lovers. Harvard Business Review, 61, 142–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, N.W. (1983). Professional women and their mentors. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corwin, R, Taves, M.J., & Haas, J.E. (1960). Social requirements for occupational success: Internalized norms and friendship. Social Forces, 39, 135–140.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, B. (1970). What is Hopi gossip about?: Information management and Hopi factions. Man, 5, 88–98.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, M. (1984). Powerplay. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dandridge, T.C. (1975). Symbols at work: The types and functions of symbols in selected organizations. Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, K. (1969). Grapevine communication among lower and middle managers. Personnel Journal, 48, 269–272.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, K. (1972). Human behavior at work: Human relations and organization behavior ( 4th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deal, T.E., & Kennedy, AA (1982). Corporate cultures. Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Domhoff, G.W. (1974). The Bohemian grove and other retreats. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feld, S.L. (1984). The structured use of personal associates. Social Forces, 62, 640–652.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fine, G.A. (1979). Small groups and culture creation: The idioculture of Little League baseball teams. American Sociological Review, 44, 733–745.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Fine, GA (1980). The natural history of preadolescent male friendship groups. In H. Foot, A. Chapman, & J. Smith (Eds.), Friendship and social relations in children (pp. 293–320 ). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fine, G.A. (1984a). Humorous interaction and the social construction of meaning: Making sense in a jocular vein. In N.K. Denzin (Ed.), Studies in symbolic interaction, (Vol. 5, pp. 83–101 ). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fine, G.A. (1984b). Negotiated orders and organizational cultures. Annual Review of Sociology, 10, 239–262.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Fine, G.A, & Kleinman, S. (1983). Network and meaning: An interactionist approach to structure. Symbolic Interaction, 6, 97–110.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Fitt, L.W., & Newton, D.A. (1981). When the mentor is a man and the protege a woman. Harvard Business Review, 59, 56–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foote, N.N. (1953). Love. Psychiatry, 16, 245–251.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gannon, T.M. (1981). Friendship patterns of the American Catholic clergy. In H. Lopata & D. Maines (Eds.), Research in the interweaves of social roles: Friendship (Vol. 2, pp. 197–217 ). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gluckman, M. (1963). Gossip and scandal. Current Anthropology, 4, 307–316.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Goffman, E. (1959). Presentation of self in everyday life. New York: Anchor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goffman, E. (1961). Asylums. Garden City, NY: Anchor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goode, W.J. (1972). The place of force in human society. American Sociological Review, 37, 507–519.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Granovetter, M.S. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78, 1360–1380.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Gregory, KX. (1983). Native-view paradigms: Multiple cultures and culture conflicts in organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28, 359–376.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Gruber, J.E., & Bjorn, L. (1982). Blue-collar blues: The sexual harassment of women autoworkers. Work and Occupations, 9, 271–298.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Gruner, C. (1979). Understanding laughter. Chicago: Nelson-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haas, J. (1972). Binging: Educational control among high steel ironworkers. American Behavioral Scientist, 16, 27–34.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Haas, J. (1974). The stages of the high-steel ironworker apprentice career. The Sociological Quarterly, 15, 93–108.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Handelman, D. (1976). Re-thinking ‘banana time’: Symbolic integration in a work setting. Urban Life, 4, 433–448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haviland, J.B. (1977). Gossip, reputation and knowledge in Zinacantan. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hebden, J.E. (1975). Patterns of work identification. Sociology of work and occupations, 2, 107–132.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hershey, R. (1956). Heed rumors for their meaning. Personnel Journal, 34, 299–301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, E.C. (1945). Dilemmas and contradictions of status. American Journal of Sociology, 50, 353–359.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, M.O. (1980). A feeling for form, as illustrated by people at work. In N. Burlakoff & C. Lindahl (Eds.), Folklore on two continents: Essays in honor of Linda Dégh. Bloomington, IN: Trickster Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kantor, R.M. (1977). Men and women of the corporation. New York: Basic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerckhoff, A, & Back, K. (1968). The June bug: A study of hysterical contagion. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleinman, S. (1984). Equals before God. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kram, ICE. (1983). Phases of the mentor relationship. Academy of Management Journal, 26, 608–625.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Kurth, S.B. (1970). Friendships and friendly relations. In G.J. McCall, M.M. McCall, N.K Denzin, G.D. Suttles, & S.B. Kurth (Eds.), Social relationships (pp. 136–170 ). Chicago: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leary, J.P. (1978). Strategies and stories of the Omaha stockyards. Folklore Forum, 11, 29–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leemon, TA (1972). The rites of passage in a student culture. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lembright, M.F., & Riemer, J.W. (1982). Women truckers’ problems and the impact of sponsorship. Work and Occupations, 9, 457–474.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, D., Darrow, C.N, Klein, E.B, Levinson, M, & McKee, B. (1978). The seasons of a man’s life. New York: Ballantine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln, J.R, & Miller, J. (1979). Work and friendship ties in organizations: A comparative analysis of relational analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24, 181–199.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Lipset, S.M, Trow, M, & Coleman J. (1956). Union democracy. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Little, R. (1981). Friendships in the military community. In H.Z. Lopata & D. Maines (Eds.), Research in the interweave of social roles: Friendship (Vol. 2 pp. 221–235 ). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, J, & Powers, M.E. (1983). Organizational stories: More vivid and persuasive than quantitative data. In B. Staw (Ed.), Psychological foundations of organizational behavior (pp. 161–168 ). Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, J, & Siehl, C. (1983). Organizational culture and counterculture. Organizational Dynamics, 12, 52–64.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • McCarl, R.S., Jr. (1976). Smokejumper initiation: Ritualized communication in a modern occupation. Journal of American Folklore, 89, 49–66.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Mechanic, D. (1962). Sources of power of lower participants in complex organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 7, 349–364.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Mechanic, D. (1962). Sources of power of lower participants in complex organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 7, 349–364.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, H. (1984). Just friends: Definition and maintenance ofplatonic cross-sex friendship. Unpublished manuscript, University of Minnesota.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nusbaum, P. (1978). A conversational approach to occupational folklore: Conversation, work, play, and the workplace. Folklore Forum, 11, 18–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packard, V. (1979). The status seekers. New York: McKay.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paine, R. (1967). Gossip and transaction. Man, 3, 305–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, T.J., & Waterman, R.H., Jr. (1982). In search of excellence. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, J. (1981). Management as symbolic action: The creation and maintenance of organizational paradigms. In L.L. Cummings & B. Straw (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 3, pp. 1–52 ). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, RE. (1977). Coping with Cupid: The formation, impact, and management of romantic relationships in organizations.Administrative Science Quarterly, 22, 30–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riemer, J. (1979). Hard hats: The work world of construction workers. Beverly Hills: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rohlen, T.P. (1973). Spiritual education in a Japanese bank. American Anthropologist, 75, 1542–1562.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, D. (1952). Quota restriction and goldbricking in a machine shop. American Journal of Sociology, 57, 427–442.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, D. (1954). Efficiency and the fix: Informal intergroup relations in a piecework machine shop. American Journal of Sociology, 60, 255–266.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, D. (1959-1960). Banana time: Job satisfaction and informal interaction. Human Organization, 18, 156–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schutte, J.G., & Light, J.M. (1978). The relative importance of proximity and status for friendship choices in social hierarchies. Social Psychology, 41, 260–264.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Shibutani, T. (1966). Improvised news. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spacks, P. (1983). Gossip: How it works. Yale Review, 72, 561–580.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stelling, J., & Bucher, R (1972). Autonomy and monitoring on hospital wards. Sociological Quarterly, 13, 431–446.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A., Schatzman, L., Ehrlich, D., Bucher, R, & Sabshin, M. (1963). The hospital and its negotiated order. In E. Friedson (Ed.), The hospital in modern society (pp. 147–169 ). New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suttles, G. (1970). Friendship as a social institution. In G.J. McCall, M. McCall, N.K. Denzin, G.D. Suttles, & S.B. Kurth (Eds.), Social relationships (pp. 95–135 ). Chicago: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swanson, C. (1978). Joking at the office: Coffee-break humor. Folklore Forum, 11, 42–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Timms, D.W.G. (1967). Occupational stratification and friendship nomination: A study in Brisbane. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Sociology, 3, 32–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • University of Minnesota. (1984). Policy statement on sexual harassment. Unpublished manuscript, University of Minnesota.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaught, C., & Smith, D.L. (1980). Incorporation and mechanical solidarity in an underground coal mine. Sociology of Work and Occupations, 7, 159–187.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Verbrugge, L.M. (1979). Multiplexity in adult friendships. Social Forces, 57, 1286–1309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, P.H. (1982). Men’s friendships, women’s friendship and the alleged inferiority of the latter. Sex Roles, 8, 1–20.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, H. (1977). Scientific elite: Nobel laureates in the United States. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Gary Alan Fine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, 23508, Norfolk, Virginia, USA

    Valerian J. Derlega & Barbara A. Winstead & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 1986 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fine, G.A. (1986). Friendships in the Work Place. In: Derlega, V.J., Winstead, B.A. (eds) Friendship and Social Interaction. Springer Series in Social Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4880-4_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4880-4_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9344-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-4880-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive