This conceptual paper contributes a new perspective on the role of women academics’ friendships in helping them navigate and counter the masculine culture of academia. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory and Relational Cultural Theory, we contend that women’s friendships allow women to thrive by meeting core psychological needs that are threatened in a marginalized work environment. Women’s intra-gender friendships act as counterspaces that challenge deficit notions women often hold about themselves, which are particularly prevalent for early career academics and women of color. We examine these workplace friendships through the belief that the academy is a gendered workplace which results in women often experiencing significant challenges to their career success. Furthermore, we consider how women’s friendships can mitigate the effects of workplace marginalization and enhance well-being that results in career success. We conclude by challenging HRD scholars to consider how academia can make space for and value women’s friendships in the workplace to benefit both individuals and institutions.

这份概念文件为女性学者的友谊在帮助她们驾驭和对抗男性学术文化方面的作用提供了新的视角。我们利用自我决定理论和关系文化理论，认为女性友谊可以满足处于边缘化工作环境中的核心心理需求，从而使女性得以蓬勃发展。妇女的两性内部友谊充当了挑战，挑战着妇女经常持有的关于自己的缺陷观念，这在早期的职业学者和有色人种妇女中尤为普遍。我们通过认为学院是一个两性平等的工作场所来检验这些工作场所的友谊，这种结果导致女性经常面临着对其职业成功的重大挑战。此外，我们考虑了女性友谊如何减轻工作场所边缘化的影响并提高幸福感，从而促进职业成功。最后，我们向人力资源开发研究人员提出挑战，以考虑学术界如何为工作场所的妇女友谊腾出空间并重视妇女的友谊，从而造福个人和机构。