Workplace Friendship and Career Wellbeing: The Influencing Role of Mood, Health and Biographical Variables

Abstract

Industry 4.0 and the use of technology and digitization have significantly impacted career wellbeing. Career wellbeing typically refers to an employees’ satisfaction with their careers, performance and employability attributes. People with a high career wellbeing are more inclined to be happy and thrive in life overall, and therefore experience higher employee wellbeing and career satisfaction. Employees’ career wellbeing also significantly contributes towards the organisations bottom line and productivity. Advancing research and knowledge in the psychosocial variables that influence the career wellbeing of employees has become imperative. The primary objective of this chapter was to theoretically explore the association and importance of workplace friendships for career wellbeing, specifically within the context of Industry 4.0. The secondary objective of this chapter theoretically and empirically explored the influence of health, mood, age, gender and race on workplace friendship. Only health and mood was found to significantly influence workplace friendships. Based on these findings, HR practitioners could utilise this information in assisting employees to build workplace friendships in order to enhance career wellbeing.