Friendship

World Wide Web

Linguistics

Engineering

Philosophy

Neuroscience

Social psychology

Public relations

Organizational communication

The Internet

Computer science

Computer-mediated communication

Psychology

Political science

Electronics

Telecommuting

Phone

Perception

Interpersonal relationship

Electrical engineering

Human Communication Research

This study examined information communication technologies and workplace friendship dynamics. Employees reported factors that influenced their initiation of friendship with a coworker and reported patterns and perceptions of communication with their workplace friend via different communication methods. Results indicated that personality, shared tasks, and perceived similarity are the most important factors to coworker friendship initiation, and the importance of physical proximity to workplace friendship is diminishing in the electronically connected workplace. Results confirm the primacy of face-to-face interaction for workplace friendship initiation and maintenance. E-mail, phone, and texting were also central to communication among workplace friends. The amount of time spent telecommuting affected workplace friendship initiation and communication. Finally, generational differences were identified with respect to Internet-based communication methods.

Workplace Friendship in the Electronically Connected Organization