A recent study has revealed that strong bonding between woman co-workers can be effective for the company as it can reduce the chances of conflicts between female employees. The study published in the INFORMS journal Organisation Science, also stated that if a male dominated organisation set up an environment supporting positive relationship between female co-workers then people may not witness conflict among women employees.
"While gender diversity and inequality are well documented topics in management, sociology and labour economics, few have looked closely at the gendered negative relationships within the workplace from a social relationship perspective," said Jennifer Merluzzi of George Washington University.
Merluzzi surveyed 145 management-level employees regarding workplace dynamics at two large US firms that were primarily male-dominated, with women representing less than one-third of the workforce and under 15 per cent of the senior management.
The author revealed that while men and women are equally likely to mention having a difficult co-worker, but as compared to men, women are more likely to cite another woman as a difficult co-worker than a man.
However, this tendency is reduced among women who cite having more women co-workers for social support and friendship at work.
The study "Gender and Negative Work Ties: Exploring Difficult Work Relationships Within and Across Gender at Two Firms" conducted by Merluzzi showed that unique gendered network characteristics can help organisational leaders anticipate potential trouble spots within their firms where gendered conflict may erupt.
Merluzzi added that the companies these days organise activities to increase the reliance on informal ties between workers.
(With IANS Inputs)
