  We explore the influence of gender and formal organizational status on the
formation of discussion ties. Network data, gathered through surveying
employees from a municipal organization in the United States, garnered a 92%
response rate (n=143). Results of exponential random graph modeling indicate
women supervisors are more likely to send discussion ties, while women in
general are more likely to receive discussion ties. These exploratory results
suggest women may be perceived as more approachable for work discussions, but
not as supervisors. Finally, the results identified a consistent homophily
effect of gender in the discussion network.
