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Human Relations
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The glass partition: Obstacles to cross-sex friendships at work

Kim Elsesser

University of California, Los, USA, elsesser{at}ucla.edu

Letitia Anne Peplau

University of California, Los Angeles, USA, lapeplau{at}ucla.edu

This study explores cross-sex friendships within the professional workplace and examined the impact of the workplace environment and heightened awareness of sexual harassment on cross-sex friendship formation. Results from interviews with 41 professionals suggest the existence of obstacles to developing cross-sex friendships at work. Specifically, these professionals worried that their cross-sex friends would misinterpret their friendliness as romantic or sexual interest, that their co-workers would misinterpret their friendliness to a cross-sex friend, and that their humor and conversational topics might be perceived by a cross-sex friend as sexual harassment. Barriers to cross-sex friendship at work were labeled the ‘glass partition,’ and the potential impact of this glass partition on women's and men's careers is discussed.

Key Words: cross-sex friendship • gender • organizational behavior • sexual harassment • work environment

Human Relations, Vol. 59, No. 8, 1077-1100 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0018726706068783
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[Abstract] [PDF]