When employers promote an office environment that supports positive, social relationships among female co-workers, especially in male-dominated organizations, they are less likely to experience conflict between female employees, new research confirms. The survey surveyed 145 management-level employees about workplace dynamics at two large U.S. companies that were primarily male-dominated environments, with less than a third of employees being women and under 15 percent of senior management.
The study found that while men and women are equally likely to have a difficult co-worker, compared to men, women are more likely to name another woman as a difficult co-worker than a man. However, this tendency has diminished in women who have more female colleagues for social support and friendship at work.
