The concept of romance has been an intriguing subject for scholars since ancient times. It is a natural human phenomenon that occurs when two individuals develop feelings for each other beyond friendship. Romance includes emotional and physical intimacy between partners, and it can occur in different levels.
There are many forms of romance, including passionate love, erotic love, companionship love, empty love, fatuous love, etc.
Romantic involvement is often seen as something positive because it provides people with a feeling of attachment, security, belonging, and intimacy.
It also has some negative effects such as jealousy, possessiveness, obsession, etc., which can lead to tension within teams. In most cases, romantic involvement influences perceptions of justice, fairness, and equality within teams negatively.
When two team members engage in a romantic relationship, they tend to favor one another more than their colleagues who are not involved in this kind of relationship. This bias can result in unfair treatment or favoritism towards one partner.
If a male manager falls in love with his subordinate female employee, he might promote her faster than other employees just because she is his lover. In this case, fairness is compromised because others have worked equally hard but receive fewer rewards.
When one person in a romantic relationship is more committed to the team project than the other, it may create inequality. The team member who does not contribute much to the project will not be held accountable for their actions since they already enjoy the benefits of being part of the couple. As a result, they become less motivated to work harder and contribute to the team's goals. This situation creates an uneven distribution of resources and responsibilities, affecting the team's productivity and performance.
Romantic relationships can cause a lack of trust among team members. When one person starts dating someone from outside the team, their loyalty becomes questioned, leading to mistrust and suspicion between them and other team members. If there is any conflict within the group, they feel threatened that information could leak out to their partners outside the organization, which would put them at a disadvantage. Therefore, trust is broken, making the team less efficient and productive.
Couples in a team often spend time together during working hours and socialize after work, leaving little time for other activities. They also tend to discuss personal matters during meetings, which diverts attention from professional issues. This situation causes tension and resentment between them and their colleagues, reducing cooperation and collaboration.
Some studies show that romance within teams has positive effects on productivity if certain conditions are met.
When both partners share equal power status within the team or have similar job roles, there is no imbalance of resources, skills, or abilities. In this case, the relationship enhances communication and collaboration, improves morale, reduces absenteeism, and increases employee retention rates.
How does romantic involvement influence perceptions of justice, fairness, and equality within a team?
Romantic involvement can have a significant impact on perceptions of justice, fairness, and equality within a team as it may lead individuals to favor certain members over others based on personal feelings rather than objective criteria. Individuals who are romantically involved with someone else on the team may be more likely to perceive that individual as deserving special treatment or advantages due to their close relationship.