Workplace Romance Research Articles

Legal standards, ethical standards, and responses to social–sexual conduct at work

AbstractWhen individuals investigate a sexual harassment claim that stems from a dissolved workplace romance, their responses to the claim are likely influenced by their ethical standards and legal standards. We propose a person–situation interactionist decision‐making process through which investigators' ethical standards may override legal standards when responding to social–sexual conduct at work. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Responding to sexual harassment complaints: Effects of a dissolved workplace romance on decision-making standards

We introduce and provide support for an ethical decision-making framework as an explanation for the social–cognitive process through which observers make decisions about a sexual harassment complaint that stems from a prior workplace romance. We conducted two experiments to examine effects of features of a dissolved hierarchical workplace romance and subsequent harassing behavior on raters' responses to a sexual harassment complaint. In Experiment 1, results based on a sample of 217 employees indicate that their attributions of responsibility for the harassment mediated the link between their knowledge of features of the romance and three recommended personnel actions. In Experiment 2, results based on a sample of 258 members of the Society for Human Resource Management indicate that their degree of recognition of the accused's social–sexual behavior as immoral mediated the link between their knowledge of features of the romance and harassment and their attributions of responsibility. Raters' attributions of responsibility, in turn, predicted three recommended personnel actions. We discuss theoretical and practical implications from an ethical decision-making perspective.

Romantic Relationships in Organizations: A Test of a Model of Formation and Impact Factors

We obtained questionnaire data from 465 employees to test a model containing hypothesized formation and impact factors from Pierce, Byrne, and Aguinis’s (1996) conceptual model of workplace romance. As predicted, results indicate that (a) employees’ attitudes toward romance and sexual intimacy at work and levels of perceived job autonomy are positively associated with their participation in a workplace romance; and (b) employees’ participation in a workplace romance is positively associated with their levels of job satisfaction and, to a lesser degree, organizational commitment. Employees’ participation in a workplace romance was not, however, predictive of their levels of job performance or intrinsic work motivation. We discuss implications for future workplace romance research.

Workplace Romances between Senior- Level Executives and Lower-Level Employees: An Issue of Work Disruption and Gender

This study examined co-workers’ reactions to a hierarchical workplace romance between an older, married senior-level executive and a younger, single lower-level employee. Part-time MBA students, nearly all of whom were employed full time, responded to a randomly assigned vignette in which they were asked to assume the role of co-worker of the two romantic partners. The effect of the workplace romance on participants’ productivity and the gender of the two participants were manipulated in vignettes, resulting in a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design. Consistent with gender stereotypes about hierarchical workplace romances, respondents were more likely to attribute a job motive to a female lower-level employee than to a male lower-level employee. In turn, consistent with a work-disruption perspective, respondents regarded the relationship as representing a more serious problem for the organization when they believed that the lower-level participant was motivated by job concerns. Further, when respondents believed that the relationship represented a more serious problem for the organization, they preferred that management direct stronger action against both participants and would take stronger action themselves. However, male respondents would take stronger action in the role of co-worker than female respondents. These results suggest that hierarchical workplace romances represent an issue of both work disruption and gender.

A Framework for Investigating the Link between Workplace Romance and Sexual Harassment

Workplace romance and sexual harassment are pervasive social-sexual phenomena in organizations. However, the processes through which dissolved workplace romances are most likely to foster sexually harassing behavior between former romantic partners are not known. The authors propose that the following factors play a critical role in influencing the likelihood that terminated workplace romances lead to sexually harassing behavior: (a) type of workplace romance as defined by pairing of each partner’s primary romance motive, (b) partners’ social power, (c) initiation of romantic relationship dissolution, (d) male partner’s sexual harassment proclivity, (e) nature of each partner’s residual affective state, and (f) organization’s tolerance for sexual harassment. Based on the role of these factors, the authors provide a framework and propositions that serve to guide future research addressing the link between dissolved workplace romances and sexually harassing behavior. Methodological considerations and implications for management are also discussed.

Workplace romance in the public sector: sex differences in reactions to the Clinton-Lewinsky affair.

This study examined reactions of part-time MBA students (n = 199) and undergraduate business students (n = 220) to the affair involving U.S. President Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky prior to Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives. Consistent with research on attitudes toward workplace romance in the private sector, women believed that this affair occurring in the public sector represented a more serious problem for the nation and more than men were inclined to prefer that some type of action, e.g., resignation or impeachment, be taken. Implications of the results are discussed.

EFFECTS OF A DISSOLVED WORKPLACE ROMANCE AND RATER CHARACTERISTICS ON RESPONSES TO A SEXUAL HARASSMENT ACCUSATION.

We examined effects of a dissolved workplace romance and rater characteristics on judgments of responsibility and recommended personnel actions regarding a sexual harassment accusation. Type of rom...

Effects of a Dissolved Workplace Romance and Rater Characteristics on Responses to a Sexual Harassment Accusation

We examined effects of a dissolved workplace romance and rater characteristics on judgments of responsibility and recommended personnel actions regarding a sexual harassment accusation. Type of rom...

AN EXAMINATION OF THE PERCEIVED FAIRNESS OF WORKPLACE ROMANCE POLICIES

Fairness perceptions regarding several workplace romance policies (i.e., no action, counsel, verbal reprimand, written warning, transfer, terminate) applied to different types of couples (e.g., lateral vs. hierarchical) in a variety of situations (e.g., couple's performance improves vs. declines) were examined. We found the counsel policy was perceived more fair than any other policy. Stricter workplace romance policies (verbal reprimand, written warning, transfer) were perceived fair when the couple's performance declined or the romance was highly visible. Taking no action was perceived more fair than any other policy when the couple's performance improved. These results and others are discussed.

Not all is fair in love and work: coworkers' preferences for and responses to managerial interventions regarding workplace romances

This article proposes a model of coworkers' preferences for and responses to managerial interventions regarding workplace romances (WRs). Specifically, the model examines the antecedents of coworkers' preferences for managerial intervention in WRs and the consequences of whether their preferred intervention is congruent with the actual managerial intervention. According to the model, coworkers' preferences for managerial intervention are influenced by their perceptions of the impact of the WR on the work environment, including perceptions of whether it represents a conflict of interest for the two participants and whether it disrupts the functioning of the work group. These perceptions are affected by factors pertaining to the romance itself, the coworkers themselves, and the organizational context in which the romance occurs. Next, consistent with the organizational justice literature, we propose that coworkers will evaluate the distributive and procedural justice of the managerial intervention according to (a) the congruence between the severity of their preferred managerial action and the severity of the actual managerial action and (b) the congruence between their beliefs about a just process for managerial decision making about WRs and the actual process. Finally, we propose that coworkers who perceive the managerial intervention process and outcomes as unjust will exhibit negative work-related attitudes (e.g., decreased job satisfaction and organizational commitment) and behavior (e.g., decreased productivity and organizational citizenship behaviors). Implications of the model for future research and organizational practice are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hierarchical workplace romance: an experimental examination of team member perceptions

Using a 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design and data from 158 subjects, this study assessed the effects of three romance participant characteristics and respondent gender on reactions to working with team members involved in a hierarchical workplace romance. The romance participant characteristics included: (a) marital status of the team leader (married versus single); (b) marital status of a coworker (married versus single); and (c) gender of the team leader–coworker dyad (male–female versus female–male). Significant effects were found for team leader marital status, coworker marital status, and gender of the respondent. This study also examined attributions of blame and attributions of motive (job-related, ego, or love) to the romantic couple for engaging in the workplace romance. Results indicated that the team leader was more frequently attributed blame, yet attribution of blame was affected by the marital status of both the team leader and the coworker. Both the team leader and the coworker were most frequently attributed an ego motive for the involvement. Implications for work teams and managerial policies are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Regulating Workplace Romances: Some Guidance from the Courts

Regulating Workplace Romances: Some Guidance from the Courts

Factors Associated With Participating in a Romantic Relationship in a Work Environment1

Questionnaires were administered to graduate students employed by a large university to assess part of Pierce, Byrne, and Aguinis's (1996) model of workplace romance. Based on data from 297 respondents, results indicate that (a) females held less favorable attitudes toward romance and sexual intimacy at work than did males, (b) participating in a romantic relationship with a member of the same organization was positively associated with a participant's self‐appraised job performance, and (c) consistent with an affective spillover hypothesis, degree of loving feelings for a current romantic partner was positively associated with an individual's own level of intrinsic work motivation, job involvement, and satisfaction with his or her type of work. Results are discussed in light of Pierce et al.'s (1996) model, and potential study limitations are addressed.

Something to Talk About: Romantic Relationships M Organizational Settings

This article reviews the meager management and organizational behavior literature on romantic relationships in organizational settings. It demonstrates that workplace romance is a topic on which much theoretical and, more importantly, empirical research is needed. Workplace romances have important work-related implications for the two participants, coworkers, supervisors, and the organization as a whole. A research agenda and research propositions are offered to stimulate future scholarly interest in this area.

Something to talk about: Romantic relationships in organizational settings

This article reviews the meager management and organizational behavior literature on romantic relationships in organizational settings. It demonstrates that workplace romance is a topic on which much theoretical and, more importantly, empirical research is needed. Workplace romances have important work-related implications for the two participants, coworkers, supervisors, and the organization as a whole. A research agenda and research propositions are offered to stimulate future scholarly interest in this area.

Bridging the gap between romantic relationships and sexual harassment in organizations

Workplace romances and sexual harassment are pervasive in today's organizations. However, despite the fact that these two phenomena share a social-sexual component, they have primarily been treated as unrelated organizational issues. We advance an affective link between workplace romances and sexual harassment. Based on this theoretical connection, we discuss conditions under which workplace romances may result in sexual harassment. Finally, we address managerial implications of the romance–harassment link. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Impact of Participant Characteristics, Perceived Motives, and Job Behaviors on Co‐Workers' Evaluations of Workplace Romances1

Using a policy capturing approach, we examined the importance that observers placed on 7 different factors when evaluating workplace romances. Nearly half the explained variation in observers' evaluations of workplace romances was accounted for by participants' marital status. Participants' organizational status relative to one another was also important in explaining the variation. A series of nomothetic analyses indicated that workplace romance participants' marital status, academic status, motive for entry into the relationship, and job performance affected observers' evaluations of these relationships. Observers' level of prior involvement in a workplace romance was also significantly related to a number of variables. Results suggest that when evaluating workplace romances, observers place the greatest importance on the personal characteristics of participants. Ramifications for policy formation are discussed.

Attraction in organizations: A model of workplace romance

Antecedents and consequences of participating in a romantic relationship in the workplace are critically examined. These factors are derived from social-psychological theories of interpersonal attraction, romantic attraction, love, emotion, and social exchange, as well as from previous research addressing romance in the workplace. The antecedent factors explain the processes by which romantic relationships develop between two members of the same organization, and the consequent factors highlight both the beneficial and detrimental effects that such relationships have on the participants, coworkers, and the host organization. Based on these formation and impact factors, a conceptual model of workplace romance is developed along with a series of testable propositions in order to facilitate and direct future research on romantic organizational behavior.

Managers' perceptions of workplace romances: An interview study

Although workplace romances occur frequently, no research has directly examined managers' perceptions of these relationships. In this study, managers (N=30) were interviewed about workplace romances. Included in these interviews were questions about organizational policies regarding these relationships, knowledge of prior or current workplace romances, and reactions to workplace romances and the participants in those relationships. Managers also responded to 12 items designed to assess the effect of different characteristics of workplace romances on perceptions of the need for management intervention. Responses to these items indicated that managers were most likely to recommend intervention when the relationship occurred between unequal organizational status participants, and it was negatively affecting the work group. The hypothesis that women managers would respond more negatively than would male managers to workplace romances was not supported. Factors that may affect managers' reactions to participants in workplace romances are discussed.

The influence of a history of romance on judgments and responses to a complaint of sexual harassment

Results indicated that a female complainant was seen as less innocent and an accused male less guilty when they had previously been romantically involved. As a consequence, decision makers felt it was more appropriate to be lenient in responding to the accused. Also, as demonstrated in previous research, male and female decision makers differed in their judgments and responses to a complaint of sexual harassment. These results have implications for organizational policies concerning workplace romance and for training people to deal with complaints of sexual harassment.