Does Workplace Friendship Lead to Work Commitment? An Investigation at the Health and Sanitation Directorate of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

Abstract

The aim of the study is to examine the significance of the relationship between workplace friendship and work commitment. For this purpose, 121 employees from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Health and Sanitation Directorate participated in the study. Workplace Friendship Scale and Utrecht Work Commitment Scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using Factor Analysis, Independent Samples t-Test, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation on SPSS. According to the findings obtained from the research, the evaluations of the participants about the friendships they have established in the workplace are generally positive. While workplace friendship is not affected by demographic factors such as gender, age, and marital status, the level of education and the department cause significant differences on workplace friendship. On the other hand, it was determined that the participants' level of commitment to work was also high. It has been observed that marital status and the department significantly affect the work commitment. Finally, it was determined that there is a positive but weak relationship between the employees' workplace friendship and work commitment.