ABSTRACT
When asked why they work, particularly why they continue to work when they no longer need to, workers will often report that it is because of the relationships they have developed with their coworkers. Indeed, empirical research has suggested that coworkers have an important influence on employees, above and beyond that of supervisors (Chiaburu & Harrison, 2008). As Kahn (2007) noted, coworkers “shape how people think, how they feel, and what they do” (p. 189). In this chapter, I explore the positive nature of these coworker relationships with the goal of summarizing the existing literature and suggesting avenues for additional exploration. To that end, I will turn to the psychology, communication, sociology, and management literatures to provide a brief synopsis of what we know and what we don’t know regarding positive coworker relationships.
