The IO Psychology of Work Besties: Gender Dynamics and Coworker relationships

The Work Bestie Power-Up

Finding a work bestie or a mentor is a powerful predictor of job satisfaction. When employees attract friendships in the workplace, their relationships are more sustainable and they engage in higher levels of interdependent support (Winstead et al., 1995). There is clear value in knowing someone that can cover you on a shift, exchanging a look with someone in a meeting that creates mutual understanding, or alleviating stress with a good laugh.

Gender is an important variable when observing how coworker relationships shape “The Experience” of a job. A study by Markiewicz, Devine, and Kausilas (2000) found that same-gender (homophilous) work friendships are stronger than opposite-sex ties. Also, the quality of close male friendships is more strongly associated with career success and job satisfaction compared to close female friendships. Based on the gender diversity within a team, there are certainly implications for employee’s ability to find meaningful connection that amplifies their success at work.

There are a litany of reasons for which genders diverge in what they require for workplace connections. The next sections expounds on the research around gender connections in industry.

Language, Priorities, and Roles

Effective communication within a diverse workforce is crucial for organizational performance. Vinita Mohindra (2018) emphasizes that understanding gender differences in workplace communication can significantly impact efficiency and overall workplace dynamics. Even The fit between warmth and competence in coworker relationships is critical for satisfaction. These relationships, influenced by personality and gender, significantly affect overall well-being (Byington, 2013).

Supportive coworker relationships can positively influence the interaction between work and home life, enhancing employees’ overall well-being (Thai et al., 2020). Gender-based differences in job priorities impact job satisfaction and have implications for HR policies and skill development initiatives. While males and females share basic job-related values, their specific priorities differ (Fapohunda, 2013).Men in female-dominated occupations may experience enhanced leadership opportunities and special treatment but often adopt strategies to reaffirm their masculinity (Simpson, 2004).

In contrast, individuals with a feminine gender schema working in stereotypically feminine occupations report higher satisfaction with coworkers and work conditions. Those with a masculine gender schema in stereotypically masculine occupations are more satisfied with their supervisors (Lipińska-Grobelny & Goździk).

Unveil the Reality of Coworker Relationships

Organizations can utilize various assessments to gain insights into coworker relationships and drive meaningful diversity initiatives. Tools like the Birkman Method and other personality assessments can help identify individual traits and interaction styles.

https://birkman.com/the-birkman-method

Birkman assessments are specifically designed to map out individual traits to create a comprehensive ‘team map,’ offering a clear picture of team dynamics. By evaluating each member across a spectrum of characteristics such as communication style, decision-making approach, and stress management, the assessment provides insights into how these diverse traits interact within the group. A particularly valuable feature of the assessment is its ability to distinguish between how individuals currently perform their roles and how they would ideally operate if their preferred working conditions were met. Any discrepancy between these two states can highlight potential strain, as the individual may not be functioning in a manner that feels natural to them—insights that are crucial for fostering a cohesive and effective team, especially within diverse groups.

Authenticity- which describes how well an individual aligns with their true character and identity- is the perfect buzzword for gauging connection at work. Based on factors such as historical workplace experiences, current workplace culture, demographic and power dynamics, individuals can vary in how authentic they behave at work. Many may exhibit a half-way approach to navigate the complexities of workplace relationships. Authenticity is a unique construct that is distinct from how well someone fits-in within their occupational environment (Van den Bosch et al., 2019). While a strong “fit” is shown to support performance outcomes and engagement, ones degree of authenticity at work is related to decreased burnout and boredom (Van den Bosch et al., 2019).

Cultivating a work environment that nurtures authentic personal expression is instrumental in keeping people on track through inevitable stressors and challenges from their job. There are a variety of scales designed to measure authenticity in the workplace. The Authenticity at Work Scale (AAWS) can be leveraged to gain insights into how the work environment impacts authenticity in three ways: self-alienation, authentic living, and accepting external influence (Van den Bosch and Taris, 2014). The AAWS results illustrate whether employee behave in accordance with their personal identity at work and the extent that culture and job factors pressure them to act incongruently with their construct of self. If there is need to improve authenticity, organizations can implement psychological safety workshops or invest in founding effective Employee Resource Groups (ERG). Other resolutions may include empathetic leadership training, training employees so they are cognizant of implicit bias, and extra-organizational opportunities for workers to interact and build relationships outside of the office.

Tying in LGBT Identities

Gender is a more fluid construct in modern society and a complete discussion of connection at work as a function of gender includes the LGBT community. For LGBT identities, disclosure of identity and authenticity at work are strongly linked to wellbeing (Fletcher and Everly 2021). Supportive workplace practices, such as LGBT ERGs and celebration of pride month, provides a scaffold for depth in LGBT connection at work. There is a need for studies that analyze connection at work across the spectrum of gender identities to better understand their needs and challenges.

Cultivating Connectedness

The post-COVID-19 era offers many solutions for cultivating a sense of connection in the workplace. Initiatives that drive organizational support provide a means for organizations to boost employee connectedness (Cheng et al., 2022). Programs to offer childcare, flexibility, and elder care are a basis for driving a sense of organizational support. Additionally, team meetings that generate opportunities for workers to reflect on weekly successes or challenges are a mechanism for driving connectedness within teams through open dialog.

Reference List

• Avci, T. (2017). The role of coworker support in the relationship between work stress and job satisfaction. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 31, 23-32.
• Byington, E. (2013). Interpersonal fit and satisfaction: Exploring the warmth and competence of coworker relationships. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(1), 26-37.
• Chang, C.-H., Shao, R., Wang, M., & Baker, N. M. (2021). Workplace Interventions in Response to COVID-19: An Occupational Health Psychology Perspective. Occupational Health Science, 5(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-021-00080-
• Fapohunda, T. (2013). Gender differences in job satisfaction and job-related stress among university teachers. Journal of Business and Management, 5(1), 11-20.
• Lipińska-Grobelny, A., & Goździk, I. (2014). Gender schema and job satisfaction in masculine and feminine occupations. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 45(3), 258-269.
• Fletcher, L., & Everly, B. A. (2021). Perceived lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) supportive practices and the life satisfaction of LGBT employees: The roles of disclosure, authenticity at work, and identity centrality. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(3), 485–508. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12336
• Markiewicz, D., Devine, I., & Kausilas, D. (2000). Same-gender and opposite-gender work friendships: Examining the influence of gender on close friendships in the workplace. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 17(1), 77-94.
• Mohindra, V. (2018). Gender differences in workplace communication: A study on the influence of gender on interpersonal communication in organizations. International Journal of Business Communication, 55(2), 235-256.
• Simpson, R. (2004). Masculinity at work: The experiences of men in female-dominated occupations. Work, Employment and Society, 18(2), 349-368.
• Thai, S., Owens, B. P., & Tucker, J. S. (2020). Work-home interaction and its effects on employee well-being: The mediating role of coworker support. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 25(2), 127-139.
• Van den Bosch, R., Taris, T. W., Schaufeli, W.B., ; Peeters, M.C.W., Reijseger, G (2019). The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 247-266. 2019.
• Van den Bosch, R., & Taris, T. W. (2014). The Authenticity at Work Scale: Development and validation of a measure of authenticity. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 61(3), 411-424.