There are many reasons why someone might be attracted to another person, such as physical appearance, intelligence, humor, kindness, confidence, ambition, and so on.
There is also a strong biological component to attraction that can influence an individual's job satisfaction, engagement, and overall commitment to their organization. It has been shown that employees who feel physically attracted to their coworkers tend to have higher levels of job satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty than those who do not.
One study found that employees who felt romantically or sexually attracted to their colleagues were more likely to stay late, work harder, and go above and beyond their job duties in order to impress them. They were also less likely to look for new jobs or switch companies because they had an emotional investment in maintaining the relationship. This effect was especially strong among male employees, who were more likely to experience sexual attraction than female employees.
Another study found that when two coworkers were in a romantic or sexual relationship, it created a positive ripple effect throughout the entire team. The other employees reported feeling more satisfied with their own relationships, and were more engaged and committed to the company as a whole. This suggests that sexual attractions between two individuals can lead to better communication, collaboration, and teamwork within the larger organization.
This does not mean that every office should encourage dating among its employees. In fact, most organizations have policies against sexual harassment and discrimination, which could create legal liabilities if a relationship went sour.
Some people may be uncomfortable with the idea of mixing business with pleasure, and prefer to keep their personal lives separate from their professional lives.
While sexual attractions can have both positive and negative effects on employee engagement and commitment, it is important for organizations to balance these risks and benefits in order to create a healthy and productive work environment.
To what degree do sexual attractions shape employee engagement, loyalty, and organizational commitment?
There is some evidence to suggest that sexual attraction may play a role in shaping employee engagement, loyalty, and organizational commitment, but it is not the primary factor. Research has found that employees who feel sexually attracted to their colleagues are more likely to stay at their current organization for a longer period of time (Miller & Rose, 2018), as they experience greater job satisfaction and commitment (Guerrero et al.