A new study co-led by Inga Carboni, the W. Brooks George Professor in the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, has identified distinct differences in how women and men approach friendship in the workplace.
For their study, Dr. Carboni and her co-authors from Durham University Business School in the United Kingdom and Università della Svizzera Italiana in Switzerland followed a sample of employees during their first 10 months in a new role, surveying them on four separate occasions regarding their workplace friendships.
Women in the study were more likely to prioritize friendship and more likely to form new friends from existing social connections, resulting in a larger social network within their organization. In contrast, men were more likely to form individual connections, particularly with people who could support their personal or professional goals. Thus, women’s friendship networks contributed more to organizational stability, while men’s networks contributed more to individual benefit and potential career advancement.
A William & Mary faculty member for nearly two decades, Dr. Carboni focuses her research on networks and networking, diversity and inclusion, building and managing relationships, and leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bowdoin College in Maine, a master’s degree in history from Tufts University in Massachusetts, and both a master’s degree in social psychology and a Ph.D. in organizational studies from Boston College.