Sexual involvement refers to situations where individuals have experienced some form of physical touching between themselves that is considered intimate. This can include kissing, hugging, holding hands, massages, genital contact, oral stimulation, intercourse, etc. It does not mean having an orgasm or ejaculating. Sexual involvement shapes perceptions of fairness, justice, and procedural equity in organizations because it involves emotions, desires, and psychological processes that are difficult for humans to regulate objectively. When employees experience sexual interactions with superiors, subordinates, colleagues, or clients, they may become biased towards them due to feelings of affection, attraction, lust, jealousy, admiration, shame, guilt, fear, regret, anger, betrayal, or embarrassment. These emotions can influence how people judge each other's behavior and performance, which leads to unfair outcomes in terms of promotions, raises, bonuses, work assignments, projects, feedback, evaluations, etc.
If two coworkers are both equally qualified for a promotion but one has had sex with their boss before, the latter will be more likely to favor them simply because they were intimate.
This could also create a sense of injustice among non-sexually involved employees who feel that they are being passed over unjustly. Similarly, if a manager engages in sexual misconduct such as harassment or assault with a subordinate, the victim might perceive the organization as being biased against them and not taking their concerns seriously.
Sexual favors may lead to unethical practices such as nepotism, cronyism, and corruption where decisions are based on personal gain instead of merit. To prevent these negative effects, companies should have clear policies about sexual involvement and enforce consequences for violating them fairly across all levels of management. Employees must learn to recognize when their emotions interfere with their judgment and seek support from trusted friends or professionals when needed.
Sexual involvement affects organizational culture by shaping expectations and behaviors around fairness, justice, and equity, which can either promote harmony or conflict depending on how it is managed.
How does sexual involvement shape perceptions of fairness, justice, and procedural equity in organizations?
Perceptions of fairness, justice, and procedural equity are important factors that can influence how individuals interact with each other within an organization. Sexual involvement may have an impact on these perceptions as it can create biases and favoritism towards certain individuals who are perceived as more attractive or desirable. This can lead to unfair treatment of others who do not share the same level of sexual attraction and result in power imbalances within the organization.