THE QUALITY OF FRIENDSHIPS AT WORK AND JOB-SATISFACTION

The study examines the relationship between quality of a friendship at work and job satisfaction; Faculty and staff (N = 722) at two univers ities completed measures of the qualities of their best friendship at work and of job satisfaction, Multiple regressions for faculty and sta ff and for subjects whose best friend was a peer, supervisor or subord inate revealed that the quality of one's best friendship in the workpl ace is predictive of job satisfaction. A negative aspect of friendship , maintenance difficulty, was related to lower satisfaction for staff (but not faculty) and for workers whose best friend at work was a peer or supervisor. Wishing to spend free time with a best friend at work (voluntary interdependence) and an exchange orientation toward the fri end were also negatively related to aspects of job satisfaction. The r elationships between feelings about one's best friend at work and feel ings about one's job are discussed.