Managing Blended Friendships: Using Empirical Data to Prepare Students and Employees for Relational Outcomes

Abstract

The current study investigates how college students expect to react to inequity in blended friendships. Blended friendship is defined as a friendship that involves interaction at work and outside of work. Data from undergraduate students (N ¼ 185) showed that liking and relational importance were found to be lower in underreward and overreward situations versus equitable situations. Whether the inequity was in the task versus the social dimension of the blended friendship had a small effect on liking but did not affect relational importance. The results of this study could contribute to a general realistic job preview (RJP) to be given to graduating seniors as they prepare to enter the workforce or to employees as they enter new organizations.