Sexualization is a widespread phenomenon that has been around for many centuries. It refers to the act of attributing sexual characteristics or associations to non-sexual objects, people, or situations. Sexualization has been observed in various aspects of life, including workplaces.
Employers have sexualized their employees through dress codes, comments, and behavioral expectations, which can negatively affect their professional objectivity, impartiality, and decision-making accuracy. The following are some ways through which sexualization alters professional objectivity, impartiality, and decision-making accuracy:
Sexualization can lead to biased perceptions and judgments.
When an employee perceives another colleague as attractive, they might be less likely to judge them based on merit and more likely to form opinions about their personality, intelligence, skills, or abilities. In turn, this can affect their ability to make accurate decisions regarding the colleague's competence, performance, or promotion.
Sexualization can create a hostile working environment. Employees who feel sexually harassed may experience reduced job satisfaction, reduced productivity, absenteeism, and increased stress levels. This could result in poor decision-making due to distractions from work and emotional exhaustion.
Sexualization can compromise fairness in hiring processes. Some employers use physical appearances as criteria for selecting candidates for jobs. This practice is unfair because it discriminates against qualified applicants who do not meet the appearance standards. As such, it leads to unjust outcomes and reduced objectivity in decision-making.
Sexualization can lead to favoritism and nepotism. When employers show preferential treatment to people they find attractive, they risk creating conflict among employees, reducing morale, and damaging teamwork. Such acts violate ethical principles of fairness, equality, and respect, thereby undermining impartiality.
Sexualization can impact the quality of professional relationships. When employees are treated differently based on gender, race, age, or other characteristics, it creates tension and mistrust between colleagues. This can reduce collaboration and cooperation, affecting decision-making accuracy.
Sexualization has significant negative effects on professional objectivity, impartiality, and decision-making accuracy. Employers should eliminate it through policies that promote diversity, inclusion, and equity.
In what ways can sexualized perception alter professional objectivity, impartiality, and decision-making accuracy?
Sexualized perception is an inherent human tendency to perceive people based on their physical appearance rather than their character or behavior. It can lead to distorted judgments of others' abilities, intentions, or actions, which can impact one's level of objectivity in professional settings.