In today's world, sexual attraction has become an important aspect that influences many aspects of life, including the workplace. Managers are expected to act in a neutral manner towards their employees and make decisions based solely on merit rather than personal feelings.
Research shows that sexual attraction can affect managers' perceptions of employee performance, which is why it becomes difficult for them to maintain this impartial stance. This paper will explore how sexual attractions alter perceptions of managerial impartiality, fairness, and neutrality.
The first way sexual attractions affect managerial behavior is by leading to favoritism. When a manager finds an employee attractive, they may give them preferential treatment, such as promotions, raises, and assignments. This creates a sense of unfairness among other employees who feel left out and demoralized. The second way is through the creation of a hostile environment where sexual advances or comments create discomfort and tension. This reduces productivity since employees feel uncomfortable working in such an atmosphere.
When a manager sees an employee in a sexual light, they tend to focus more on their physical attributes instead of their skills and abilities, which can lead to incorrect assessments of their performance.
If a manager views a female employee as beautiful, they might overlook her lack of skills because they assume she is only there due to her looks. This biased viewpoint affects decision-making and can be detrimental to the organization.
Sexual attractions also lead to gossiping among employees, creating a negative workplace culture where people are distracted from doing their jobs properly. This is because people talk about the relationship between the manager and employee, creating rumors and speculations that can cause mistrust and division within the team.
To avoid these issues, managers must learn to maintain professional boundaries and treat all employees equally. They should not allow personal feelings to influence their management style and should keep their interactions with employees purely business-related. By being transparent and open about their expectations, they can ensure everyone understands what is expected of them without any favoritism or prejudice. Managers should also provide training to help employees deal with sexual harassment in the workplace and encourage them to report any incidents immediately.
How do sexual attractions alter perceptions of managerial impartiality, fairness, and neutrality?
Managerial fairness is affected by several factors that include gender, age, power dynamics between managers and subordinates, individual beliefs and values about appropriate behavior at work, and sexual attraction among others. Research suggests that sexual attraction can impact how individuals perceive their manager's impartiality, fairness, and neutrality because it may influence decision making processes, communication styles, and interactions with employees.