But work performance is also boosted if staff have people they know and like on their team, a study out yesterday has found.
Researchers from the Ohio State University have looked at more than 20 studies and found that teams of friends performed better on some tasks than tasks performed with acquaintances or strangers.
But when the goal is coming up with the best answer to a problem, there may be an advantage to working with strangers.
People who are not friends may be more likely to constructively disagree, to talk about the pros and cons of a proposed solution and be less likely to go along with the crowd.
Study co-author Professor Robert Lount, said: “When employees are having fun together, it may have long-term benefits for productivity.”
Study leader Seunghoo Chung said: “Friends can coordinate tasks more effectively. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”
The findings are published online in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.