Relationships among workplace peers are the most common type of organizational relationships. At times, these platonic relationships turn romantic which are often regarded as an organizational issue. A workplace romance (WR) is defined as a no-platonic bond between two members of an organization in which both sexual attraction and affection is present (Cowan & Horan, 2014). WRs are common in organizations. According to a poll by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), found that 40% of employees had been involved in a WR at some point in their careers (Cowan & Horan, 2014). The SHRM also found that over 70% of organizations do not have policies that prohibit WR. One of the most concerning questions that arises regarding workplace …show more content…
A lateral romance is a relationship between employees of equal status. A hierarchical romance is where two employees are at different organizational levels. For example, when a manager is romantically involved with his or her subordinate. Hierarchical WR are more frequent and more problematic than lateral romances due to the power differences between the partnership (Wilson, 2015). Research has also identified a number of different motives for engaging in a WR. It may be: a love motive- a sincere desire to seek a long-term relationship, an ego motive- a desire to seek adventure, excitement, sexual experience or a job-related motive- a desire to seek security, power, financial rewards (Wilson, 2015). Power is a key variable in understanding the effects and consequences of the romance. It acts as a function of the dependence of each partner on the other for resources that are exchanged in the relationship. Workplace behavior is affected when there is an unbalanced power relation, however when the power relationship is balanced, both members are equally committed to their organizational and personal roles (Pierce et al., …show more content…
Prior studies acknowledge and examine how coworkers describe WR and their reactions. However there is a lack of research understanding what the couples themselves think about how they are treated as a couple. For example, research shows there are negative attitudes from other employees towards couples in the workplace romance and that other employees may see a couple as a power coalition. Are they being treated like one and the same person? Do the couples feel that people at work treat them as an invincible duo with extra power, rather than as two separate individuals with more limited
When thinking about romantic relationships, whether in the movies, media or your own relationship what characteristics come to mind? The topic we will discuss in this presentation attends to the romantic relationships within interpersonal communication.
Although “The Orientation” and The Office highlight reasons that dysfunctional office relationships exist, “The Orientation” does so to
There is no greater illusion of reality, to man, than the act of seduction because at its core, seduction optimizes illusion. There is a place in the brain of man that drives him to develop his own understanding of the world. He does not understand it so he seeks stability in himself through a series of manipulations that develop a sense of alpha superiority- creating a self-made god of his own universe. Seduction is the process that he uses to achieve this. It is primal, it is ritualistic and it is engaging enough that man buys in fully to the invitation to indulge his ego.
...enetration. The area and degree of information the parties shared paired with a cost-benefit motivational factor produced an intimate relationship not commonly seen in the work environment. Privacy coordination also played a role in Lewis’ relational closeness with her husband and colleague. Lewis and Bristler’s or any ‘work spouse’ relationship may be the result of social penetration.
Throughout the one-hour-and-a-half observation much data was collected and stored for further investigation. Gender roles and power/authority were the two sociological concepts observed and applied to the analysis of this particular study. The four forms of groups examined were intimate couple, friends, single person and families. The field observation was concerned with the comparison between these different groups' interactions.
Fraternization in the workplace is often not thought of as an ethical issue; however, in some cases it may be. Fraternization, according to Merriam-Webster, is defined as spending time with a person in a way that may be considered inappropriate. There are many reasons that fraternizing is believed to exist. One reason for that is working long hours and being at work with coworkers more than at home with family. Dating in the workplace does not always cause problems, but it can lead to distraactions for those involved and for those on the outside fo the relationship.
Workplace romance is an issue that has been causing employers to create and enforce a No-Fraternization Policy. A No-Fraternization Policy is sometimes called a “Love Contract,” according to Kathryn Taylor from Society for Humans Resource Management (2008). A love contract is a policy that is signed by those involved in the relationship and the employer. This contract is a testimony stating that the relationship is consensual and voluntary by both. Many employees would say this is an invasion of their privacy but to others, including myself, it’s a protection for them and for the company. The No-Fraternization Policy is valuable because it helps reduce the possibility of harassment, favoritism, and will help keep productivity at a healthy level.
Hoobler, J., Wayne, S., & Lemmon, G. (2009). Boss' Perceptions of Family-Work Conflict and Women's Promotability: Glass Ceiling Effects. Academy of Management Journal, 52(5), 939-957.
Overall, we can see that 200 years later we are still attempting to escape from the gender line created through society’s image of men and women. Men and women still fail to communicate their feelings within their relationships, resulting in an overall unhealthy marriage. Today women and men attempt to challenge these gender stereotypes by taking on the roles of the opposite gender, but like in the “Yellow Wallpaper” are immediately met with “heavy opposition” and disapproval through the process. Although we may seem as though we are improving in escaping from the gendered stereotypes, the past will always be recurrent in a majority of relationships today if dominance within the relationship is not equally balance between both sexes.
In analyzing the aspect of attraction, we take a look at attraction from the perspective of Elaine Hatfield and Ellen Berscheid. Hatfield and Berscheid are American social psychologists whose work has helped to provide insight into what we now know about relationship science. According to Hatfield and Berscheid’s theory on interpersonal attraction, people are attracted to one another for four main reasons. Each reason presented helps to develop the reasons for attraction and relational differences between Landon and Jamie.
According to a recent study, the causes of sexual harassment in the workforce can be exceedingly difficult due to the fact that employee’s are dependent on each other for team work and support, and are reliant on their supervisor’s approval for time off and career advancement. Supervisors and employers take advantage of their supremacy they have over their employees. Such closeness and intensity can distort the professional boundaries which lead people to cross over the line. The report also reported that Politics can be a catalyst, and problems caused by poor management, workplace bullying, frustration, and job/financial insecurity which creates a hostile environments. Furthermore, personal problems can also play a factor, and sexual harassment can be a symptom of the effects of life traumas, such as divorce, or death of a spouse or child (Sexual Harassment in the Workplace).
Gender does appear to help determine the amount of distance one employee will place between themselves and another employee. It appears as though the men will place themselves closer to women they find attractive. If the woman is not particularly attractive, the man will leave a wider gap between himself and her. For example, one male subject sat closer to a woman who was young and thin, while the same subject left a good distance between himself and the older, heavier woman. Men seem to leave an equal distance between themselves no matter what the situation is, unless there is a disagreement. One of the subjects was upset that he felt he was asked to do something not in his job description. He proceeded to discuss this with his supervisor, who was also a male. When the supervisor told him to just do the requested job, the subject became irate and closed the gap between himself and his boss. This gap remained closed until the disagreement was resolved. Women will also position themselves closer to men they find attractive. One female employee always hugs and gives backrubs to another male employee she finds attractive, while she is just polite to the other male employees. Women also appear to give an equal amount of room between themselves unless a disagreement arises, in which case, the gap closes considerably.
...rsity of Missouri: Extramarital Affairs in the Workplace (PDF): An extensive article examining the effects of extramarital affairs in the workplace.
A majority of employees feel those employees who get involved in a workplace relationship are seeking favoritism, career advancement, or special treatment. Employees are concerned about the pair engaging in PDA at work, favoritism, and the impact of the employees breaking up. This perception of workplace relationships damages office morale, decreases worker productivity, and opens up the company to a potential sexual harassment lawsuits. Companies must have policies in place that protect the company, the employees in the relationship, and the rest of the employees in the workplace.
The four distinct types of behaviors included nominal, going with, social, and extensive. Going with is related to couples that do not a large deal of experience in dating, but want to attempt to be labeled as being a couple. Nominal and going with are indicative of individuals who are still attempt to reach a sexual relationship. Extensive is when a individual investments a great deal of time as to suggests a high level of commitment and willingness to enter a long term relationship. Paik and Woodley’s study is mainly concerned with the role that courtship behaviors play in onset of a sexual relationship. However, their study is important because it demonstrates that even when both potential partners are mainly concerned with having a sexual relationship they still gauge whom to approach and who to allow to approach them based on courtship signals. This may suggest that even if the intent is to have a long term or short-term relationship is one’s goal courtship signals are an important part in deciding whether or not to pursue a potential