Sexuality is an integral part of human existence, but it can also be controversial when it comes to workplace behavior. Employees have rights to express themselves freely as long as they do so within professional boundaries.
Some managers may exploit their subordinates' sexuality to get what they want, which can create a hostile work environment and even legal issues for the company. This paper discusses how sexualized behaviors affect perceptions of fairness, ethical behavior, and organizational justice, drawing on research from various fields such as psychology, sociology, and economics.
Perceived Fairness
Research shows that employees who perceive favorable treatment based on their gender or attractiveness tend to view their employers as fair.
Female employees who are promoted because of their physical appearance are more likely to believe the promotion was justified than those promoted for other reasons (Kossek & Lautsch, 2016; Kossek et al., 2019). Likewise, workers who receive raises based on their sex appeal are less likely to complain about unfair pay than those who receive raises without any consideration of attractiveness (Dufrene & Berdahl, 2014). These findings suggest that sexualized behavior can lead to perceptions of organizational fairness, which means that employees who behave in this way may feel like they are being treated fairly by their supervisors.
Ethical Behavior
Sexualized behavior can also violate ethical standards in the workplace. When employees use their bodies or other forms of eroticism to gain an advantage over colleagues, it creates an unequal playing field where some people have access to resources while others do not (Bolino & Turnley, 2003). Research has found that sexual harassment can harm productivity, morale, and job satisfaction (Gutek et al., 2017), which suggests that sexualized behaviors undermine the integrity of an organization's culture and values. In addition, managers who engage in such behavior may be seen as unethical and untrustworthy by their subordinates, leading to lower levels of commitment and loyalty among staff members (Hornsey & Gutek, 2015).
Organizational Justice
Sexualized behavior can affect perceptions of organizational justice when it occurs in a power imbalance situation.
If a manager takes advantage of a subordinate's vulnerability to obtain sex or favors, then the employee may perceive this as unfair treatment (Liljegren & Lundberg, 2017; Wageman, 2006). This kind of behavior is particularly problematic because it creates feelings of resentment and distrust among staff members, which can damage team cohesion and collaboration (Ashforth et al., 2008).
Research has shown that workers who experience discrimination based on gender or appearance are less likely to trust management decisions (Nielsen & Van Dick, 2013). Therefore, organizations must take steps to ensure that all employees feel they are being treated fairly and justly regardless of their physical attributes or personal relationships with supervisors.
Sexualized behavior can have significant effects on how employees perceive fairness, ethics, and organizational justice. Managers should avoid using attractiveness or intimacy as a basis for hiring, promoting, or rewarding employees, as doing so can create an unequal playing field where some people gain advantages over others based on arbitrary criteria. Organizations also need to be proactive about addressing complaints of harassment or discrimination so that all workers feel safe and respected at work. By taking these measures, companies can create a more equitable workplace where everyone feels valued and supported.
How does sexualized behavior affect perceptions of fairness, ethical behavior, and organizational justice?
The question poses that there is a relationship between sexualized behavior and perceived fairness, ethics, and organizational justice. There is no consensus on whether such behavior has a positive or negative impact on these factors. Studies have shown mixed results regarding the association between sexualized behavior and employee performance (Kim & Kacmar, 2013).