Work friendships are often tenuous and can depend on the quality of one’s productivity in the workplace environment. When the work suffers, then the friendship can quickly turn volatile. Sociologists often report that people will more likely fake their friendships at work not to upset their career prospects (Vernon, p. 27).
In at least 250 words total, please answer each of the following, drawing upon your reading materials and your personal insight. Please be sure that you do not provide names of people or identifying characteristics of the workplace.
- To what extent do you personally agree with the sociologist’s findings and distrust the sincerity of your work colleagues?
- What has been your own experience with enacting friendships of utility and/or feigning friendship in order to secure your employment or future career prospects? Do you believe this is ethical? Explain your answer.
Evaluation Criteria
Read the Discussion Board Rubric [PDF, File Size 41.8 KB] to understand the expectations for this assignment. Keep the following points in mind:
- Postings should be original, accurate, and focused on the topic.
- Postings should demonstrate understanding of key concepts.
- Responses should be original, sufficiently detailed, and stimulate discussion.
- Provide a minimum of one cited reference in APA style for each original posting.
- Online tips for using APA style may be found at the OWL website.
All discussions together count as 30% of your overall grade.
For information about writing your discussion posts, consult Discussion Tips. Be sure to check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors before you post it. When you are ready to make your initial posting, please click on the “Create Thread” button for a new thread, or “Reply” to respond to a previous post, copy/paste the text from your document into the message field, and click “Submit.”
Research indicates that friendships at work increase productivity and overall job satisfaction. Additionally, employees are more likely to believe they are well-paid. Those who share friendships at work are more likely to share ideas, be innovative and feel like their work has real meaning and purpose (p. 17). Yet, Vernon posits that in the workplace, we often experience a pseudo-intimacy, whereby “colleagues can know so much about each other but can care so little” (Vernon, p. 15).
In at least 250 words total, please answer each of the following, drawing upon your reading materials and your personal insight:
- To what extent does having friendships in the workplace impact your own level of job satisfaction?
- Please describe some of your own friendships in a workplace environment and whether you have been able to experience true care and support from your colleagues. What about genuine friendship?
Evaluation Criteria
Read the Discussion Board Rubric [PDF, File Size 41.8 KB] to understand expectations for this assignment. Keep the following points in mind:
- Postings should be original, accurate, and focused on the topic.
- Postings should demonstrate understanding of key concepts.
- Responses should be original, sufficiently detailed, and stimulate discussion.
- Provide a minimum of one cited reference in APA style for each original posting.
- Online tips for using APA style may be found at the OWL website.
All discussions together count as 30% of your overall grade.
For information about writing your discussion posts, consult Discussion Tips. Be sure to check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors before you post it. When you are ready to make your initial posting, please click on the “Create Thread” button for a new thread, or “Reply” to respond to a previous post, copy/paste the text from your document into the message field, and click “Submit.”
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