INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue X October 2025
Page 1104
A Study on the Relationship Between Workplace Friendship with Job
Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment
Vartika Singh1, Dr. Harshit Eric Williams2
1 Research Scholar, JSBS, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and
Sciences, Prayagraj
2 Assistant Professor, JSBS, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences,
Prayagraj
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2025.1210000099
Received: 02 October 2025; Accepted: 10 October 2025; Published: 05 November 2025
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the relationship between workplace friendship, job satisfaction, and organizational
commitment among early-career teaching professionals in higher educational institutions of Prayagraj, India. A
total of 109 faculty members with less than five years of experience participated, providing data via structured
questionnaires measuring workplace friendship, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Pearson’s
correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between workplace friendship and job satisfaction (r
= 0.823, p < .01), and between workplace friendship and organizational commitment (r = 0.911, p < .01).
Findings highlight that supportive interpersonal bonds enhance employee satisfaction, well-being, and loyalty,
underscoring the importance of fostering collaborative work environments.
INTRODUCTION
Friendship is a fundamental aspect of human interaction, and within the workplace, it takes the form of workplace
friendship, which significantly influences employee attitudes and organizational outcomes. According to Akila
and Priyadarshini (2018), workplace friendships extend beyond casual interactions and include relationships
such as collegial peers, special friends, and work spouses, all of which shape emotional attachment,
organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Employees with supportive work relationships tend to
develop stronger bonds and a deeper identification with their organizations.
Pillemer and Rothbard (2018) describe workplace friendship as voluntary, informal, and non-romantic, guided
by shared norms and socioemotional goals. Such friendships foster trust and empathy but may also create
challenges in balancing personal loyalty with professional responsibilities. Similarly, He et al. (2022) emphasize
that quality workplace friendships improve employee well-being, increase job satisfaction, and reduce negative
behaviors like knowledge hiding, reinforcing positive reciprocity and organizational attachment.
Bhattacharya and Ghosh (2019) highlight the role of workplace friendship in managing stress and maintaining
satisfaction, especially in high-pressure sectors like IT. Their study shows that employees who cultivate close
work bonds are better able to cope with stress and exhibit higher organizational loyalty. Singh and Jaiswal (2016)
further note that job satisfaction strongly predicts organizational commitment, with satisfied employees
demonstrating greater dedication and engagement toward organizational goals.
Collectively, these studies suggest that workplace friendship acts as an important social resource, enhancing
trust, cooperation, communication, and employee well-being while strengthening both affective and normative
commitment to the organization. Building on these insights, the present study, “A Study on the Relationship
Between Workplace Friendship with Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment”, aims to explore how
interpersonal connections at work contribute to higher satisfaction and stronger organizational commitment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue X October 2025
Page 1105
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Workplace Friendship
Workplace friendship extends beyond casual chatter to form meaningful peer relationships that affect employee
attitudes and behaviour. In an Indian context, for example, Singh & Srivastava (2020) found that Role of
Workplace Friendship in Mental Health of Hospitality Employees, reported significant positive links between
coworker friendship and well-being among hotel employees in Varanasi. significant positive links between
coworker friendship and well-being among hotel employees in Varanasi. Another Indian-based cross-sectional
study “A Study on Employee Engagement and Ethic of Friendship” by Prasanth & Janani (2023) showed that
cultivating friendship ethos at work enhances employee engagement and job-related attitudes in a Coimbatore
engineering-college context. Further, a more recent Indian empirical investigation by Navigating Virtual
Connections: Exploring the Impact of Workplace Friendship on Team Performance During the COVID-19
Pandemic by Firoz, Ghosh & Sharma, (2024) among Indian IT-sector employees found that virtual workplace
friendships foster knowledge-sharing and enhance team performance, particularly under high task
interdependence. These studies collectively underscore that workplace friendship in Indian organisations acts as
a social resource, promoting support, trust and cooperation, which are likely to influence job outcomes and
organisational commitment.
Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction in the Indian organisational research realm has been linked to various work design, social, and
environmental factors. For instance, A Study of the Impact of Social Capital on Job Satisfaction: The Mediating
and Moderating Role of Social Trust and Academic Leadership by Mondal, Sharma & Panackal (2025)
investigated Indian higher-education employees and found that social capital (including coworker relationships)
positively influences job satisfaction via social trust and academic leadership. Another Indian study, Impact of
Organizational Culture on the Indian I.T Workforce's Job Satisfaction and Stress: Qualitative Report from SMEs
operating in Trivandrum by Sreekumaran Nair & Sommerville (2017) reported that a supportive organisational
culture correlates with higher job satisfaction among Indian IT employees. Together, these studies show job
satisfaction among Indian employees is influenced not only by job content and environment but also strongly by
peer-relationships and social resources at work.
Organizational Commitment
In the Indian research context, organisational commitment has been examined both as an outcome of work
attitudes and social factors. For example, Factors Influencing Organizational Commitment, Job Involvement,
and Work-Life Balance Among Employees of Banks: An Analysis by Chandel et al. (2023) analysed Indian
bank-employees and found that job involvement and work-life balance significantly influence organisational
commitment. Another Indian study, Exploring the Link between Organizational Commitment, Person–
Organization Fit, and Work-Life Conflict by Seth et al. (2019) found that person–organisation fit and lower
work-life conflict predicted higher organizational commitment among Indian employees. A further Indian paper,
Organizational Commitment as a Predictor of Job Satisfaction among Private Sector Employees by Saleem
(2017) found that organisational commitment positively influences job satisfaction in Indian private-sector
settings. Thus, Indian studies show that organisational commitment is both shaped by social/work environment
factors and is itself a key predictor of positive work outcomes.
Research Objectives
To examine the relationship between workplace friendship and job satisfaction.
To investigate the relationship between workplace friendship and organizational commitment.
Research Hypothesis
H1: Workplace friendship has a significant relationship with job satisfaction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue X October 2025
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H2: Workplace friendship has a significant relationship with organizational commitment.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The present study adopts a descriptive and correlational research design to examine the relationship between
workplace friendship, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment among teaching staff working in higher
educational institutions in Prayagraj district, Uttar Pradesh. The study specifically focuses on faculty
members having less than five years of work experience, as early-career educators are still in the process of
professional adjustment, developing collegial bonds, and establishing organizational attachment. A total of 109
teaching employees were selected using a convenience sampling technique, based on accessibility and
willingness to participate. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire consisting of four
sections: demographic details; the Workplace Friendship Scale by Nielsen, Jex, and Adams (2000) to assess
friendship opportunities and prevalence; the Job Satisfaction Scale by Spector (1997) to measure employees’
satisfaction with different job facets; and the Organizational Commitment Scale developed by Meyer and
Allen (1997) to assess affective, continuance, and normative commitment. All items were rated on a five-point
Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). The questionnaire was distributed both
online and offline among teaching staff of government and private higher educational institutions in Prayagraj,
ensuring voluntary participation and confidentiality. Out of 120 questionnaires distributed, 109 valid responses
were received, yielding a response rate of 90.8 percent. The collected data were coded and analysed using
SPSS (Version 26). To fulfil the study objectives, Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r)
was applied to determine the direction and strength of the association between workplace friendship, job
satisfaction, and organizational commitment. This method was considered appropriate as the study aimed only
to examine the relationship among variables without inferring causality or prediction. The reliability of the
scales was tested through Cronbach’s alpha, which showed coefficients above 0.70 for all constructs, indicating
acceptable internal consistency (Nunnally & Bernstein, 1994). Although the scope of the study is limited to
teaching professionals with less than five years of experience in higher educational institutions in Prayagraj, the
findings provide valuable insights into how workplace friendship contributes to enhancing job satisfaction and
strengthening organizational commitment among early-career educators in the Indian higher education context.
Data Interpretation
H1: Workplace friendship has a significant relationship with job satisfaction.
Correlations
WF JS
WF Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
1
410
.823**
.000
410
JS Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
.823**
.000
410
1
410
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)
(Table 1.1)
The results of the correlation analysis presented in Table 4.1 indicate that workplace friendship (WF) and job
satisfaction (JS) are positively and significantly correlated (r = .823, p < .01). This high positive correlation
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue X October 2025
Page 1107
coefficient suggests that employees who experience stronger and more supportive friendships in the workplace
tend to report higher levels of job satisfaction. The significance value (Sig. = .000) confirms that this relationship
is statistically significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed), implying that the observed correlation is unlikely to have
occurred by chance.
According to Cohen (1988), a correlation coefficient (r) value between 0.70 and 0.90 represents a strong
positive relationship between variables. Therefore, the value of r = .823 obtained in this study indicates a robust
linear association between workplace friendship and job satisfaction among employees.
The positive relationship observed aligns with previous research findings. For instance, Akila and
Priyadarshini (2018) found that workplace friendship enhances employees’ emotional satisfaction,
belongingness, and mutual trust, which in turn contribute to greater job satisfaction. Similarly, Mao (2006)
emphasized that friendly interactions at work foster social support and reduce stress, thereby improving overall
job satisfaction level
H2: Workplace friendship has a significant relationship with organizational commitment.
Correlations
WF OC
WF Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
1
410
.911**
.000
410
OC Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
.911**
.000
410
1
410
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)
(Table 1.2)
Workplace friendship has a significant relationship with organizational commitment. To test this, Pearson’s
Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was computed. The results, as presented in (Table 1.2) reveal a
correlation coefficient (r) of 0.911 between workplace friendship (WF) and organizational commitment (OC),
with a significance value (p) of 0.000 (2-tailed).
This indicates a very strong positive and statistically significant relationship between the two variables at the
0.01 level of significance. In other words, as workplace friendship increases, the level of organizational
commitment among employees also tends to increase substantially. The high correlation coefficient (r = 0.911)
suggests that employees who experience supportive and friendly relationships at work are more likely to develop
a stronger sense of attachment, loyalty, and commitment toward their organization.
According to Cohen (1988), correlation coefficients can be interpreted as follows: r = 0.10 to 0.29 represents a
small relationship; r = 0.30 to 0.49 indicates a moderate relationship; and r = 0.50 or above reflects a strong
relationship. Therefore, the obtained value of 0.911 falls well within the range of a very strong relationship,
signifying a robust association between the constructs under study.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue X October 2025
Page 1108
FINDINGS
The results of the study revealed a strong and significant positive relationship between workplace friendship and
both job satisfaction and organizational commitment among early-career teaching professionals in higher
educational institutions of Prayagraj. The correlation analysis indicated that employees who share supportive
and friendly relationships at work tend to experience greater job satisfaction (r = .823, p < .01) and higher
organizational commitment (r = .911, p < .01). These findings suggest that positive interpersonal bonds among
colleagues foster a sense of belonging, emotional well-being, and loyalty toward the institution. The high
correlation coefficients confirm that workplace friendship is a key determinant of employees’ positive attitudes
in the academic environment. Overall, the study highlights that cultivating a friendly and collaborative work
culture can significantly enhance teachers’ satisfaction and strengthen their long-term attachment to the
organization.
CONCLUSION
The study concludes that workplace friendship plays a vital role in shaping employees’ positive work attitudes.
Strong and supportive friendships among colleagues significantly enhance job satisfaction and organizational
commitment, especially among early-career educators. Therefore, fostering a collaborative and friendly work
environment can contribute to greater employee well-being, loyalty, and institutional stability in higher
educational settings.
Limitations and Future Scope
The present study is limited to teaching professionals with less than five years of experience in higher educational
institutions of Prayagraj, which restricts the generalizability of the results to other professions, regions, or
experience levels. The focus solely on early-career teachers excludes insights from mid-career or senior
educators who might perceive workplace friendship differently. The use of a convenience sampling method and
a relatively small sample size of 109 participants may also limit the representativeness of the findings. Moreover,
as the study followed a correlational design based on self-reported data, it captures relationships but does not
establish causal links between variables. Future research can address these limitations by employing larger and
more diverse samples, including mid-career and senior educators, adopting longitudinal or experimental designs
to examine causal effects, and incorporating qualitative approaches to gain deeper insights into how workplace
friendships influence employees’ satisfaction, commitment, and overall well-being across different
organizational contexts.
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ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue X October 2025
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