A Facebook ‘friend’ request from the boss: Too close for comfort?

Drawing from the literature on self-presentation, leader-member exchange (LMX), and developmental networks, we attempt to explain how employees might react to a Facebook ‘friend’ request from their supervisor and why they might react that way. We then examine blog comments to determine how individuals feel about such requests and determine whether their comments support any of the aforementioned theoretical frameworks. We conclude with suggestions for how Facebook can be used in the workplace.