Close personal relationships are formed between people who have a strong emotional connection to each other. These relationships can be between friends, family members, co-workers, romantic partners, or acquaintances. In the workplace, it is common for employees to form close relationships with their superiors and subordinates. When these relationships develop, there may be an unconscious bias that influences how they make critical operational decisions. This bias could affect the decision-making process and lead to unfair outcomes.
One example of this is when a superior is involved in a romantic relationship with one of their direct reports. The boss may feel obligated to give preferential treatment to their partner because of the intimate nature of their relationship. This could lead to promotions, salary increases, or other rewards that are undeserved based solely on performance. It also creates a power imbalance within the team, as others may feel left out or neglected.
Another example is when a superior has a close friendship with someone lower down in the chain of command. They may have difficulty making decisions objectively, as they do not want to hurt their friend's feelings. This could result in poor judgment calls and negative consequences for the organization.
If the friendship ends, the boss may retaliate against the former friend, which could create animosity and dysfunction within the team.
When two colleagues are in a relationship with each other, there may be a conflict of interest. If one person gets promoted over the other, the partner who did not receive the promotion may become resentful and potentially leave the company. This could cause instability and disruption among the staff.
Close personal relationships within a chain of command can influence critical operational decisions through biases such as favoritism, loyalty, emotional attachment, and conflict of interest. These unseen factors must be considered when making important business decisions to avoid unfairness and maintain a harmonious work environment.
How can close personal relationships within a chain of command influence critical operational decisions, and what unseen biases may emerge from these attachments?
Relationships between individuals in a command structure are likely to influence their decision-making processes and, as such, impact the outcome of operations. Studies have shown that leaders who have strong personal relationships with subordinates tend to display favoritism when assigning tasks, which could lead to unfair treatment and resentment among other team members. On the other hand, leaders who lack such bonds might be perceived as distant and aloof, resulting in lower morale and loyalty levels.