All in This Together: Exploring Workplace Friendships under Shared Leadership in Metro Manila-Based Technology Companies

Abstract

This study explores how employees in technology companies in Metro Manila navigate workplace friendships within a shared leadership framework, a non-hierarchical approach that emphasizes distributed influence and collaboration. Grounded in Social Exchange Theory, the study investigates the nature, quality, and scope of workplace friendships by analyzing the costs and rewards inherent in relational dynamics. Using a qualitative research design, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with eight participants working in shared leadership environments. Thematic analysis was applied to examine four elements of friendship quality: trust, commitment, affect, and reciprocity, as well as the scope of interactions inside and outside the workplace. The findings reveal that most participants developed Comprehensive Friendships, characterized by emotional closeness, mutual investment, and regular engagement both within and beyond work settings. These friendships are sustained by personal and emotional resources, illustrating how shared leadership facilitates deeper, more multidimensional relational ties. The study offers insights into how workplace friendships function in modern, collaborative settings and contributes to a more emotionally connected and productive organizational culture.