Sexual attraction is an innate human instinct that plays a role in many aspects of life. It can influence how individuals perceive situations related to workplace decisions such as promotion, rewards, and recognition. Research suggests that when people are sexually attracted to their supervisor or co-workers, they may feel more motivated and willing to go above and beyond in order to impress them.
This perception can lead to bias and favoritism during evaluation processes.
When it comes to promotions, research has found that employees who are sexually attracted to their bosses may be more likely to view them as competent and deserving of promotion opportunities. This perception could result in favoritism towards those individuals, leading to unfair distribution of job titles and responsibilities within the organization.
These individuals may also be viewed as having greater potential for advancement, which can impact future career opportunities.
In terms of rewards, sexual attraction can have a similar effect. Employees who find themselves attracted to their colleagues or managers may believe that they deserve special treatment or recognition for their efforts, despite other factors that may contribute to success. This bias can create unequal distributions of rewards, leading to dissatisfaction among other employees who do not receive equal compensation for comparable contributions.
Sexual attraction can alter employee perceptions regarding recognition. When an employee feels personally connected to their manager or coworker, they may be more inclined to seek praise from them. As a result, those individuals may be disproportionately recognized for their accomplishments, creating a sense of unfairness among other employees who work just as hard but don't get the same level of acknowledgment.
The presence of sexual attraction in the workplace can have significant effects on how employees perceive fairness in promotions, rewards, and recognition. By recognizing this phenomenon and addressing it through policies and procedures, organizations can ensure that decisions are based on merit rather than personal attraction.
In what ways can sexual attraction alter employees' perception of fairness in promotions, rewards, and recognition?
Research has shown that individuals who are sexually attracted to their coworkers may perceive them as being more competent, deserving, and capable of receiving higher compensation and rewards than other employees who do not share this level of attraction (Lerner et al. , 2018).