The term 'sexual attraction' refers to physical and emotional responses towards another person that are primarily based on sexual desire, lust, or passion for them. In the professional context, this can be observed when one employee is drawn to another due to their looks, personality traits, body language, or personal qualities. This phenomenon has been linked to various forms of workplace interactions such as informal mentoring, sponsorship, and development opportunities.
Informal mentoring involves an experienced colleague who offers guidance, support, and advice to a less experienced colleague on matters related to career advancement, job performance, or personal development. The relationship between the mentor and mentee may include sharing knowledge, building trust, fostering collaboration, and providing feedback.
When sexual attraction becomes involved, it can create awkwardness, confusion, or even tension in the workplace.
If a senior colleague expresses interest in a junior colleague and they respond positively, it could lead to feelings of guilt, fear, shame, or embarrassment among both parties. Such situations may affect the quality of the mentorship experience by creating boundaries, limiting communication, or compromising confidentiality.
The mentee may feel pressure to reciprocate the feelings which can hinder their growth and progress at work. On the other hand, some employees may use informal mentoring as a means of establishing romantic relationships with colleagues leading to negative consequences like harassment, discrimination, and exploitation.
Sponsorship involves advocacy for another individual's promotion, recognition, or advancement within an organization. It often happens when a more powerful individual takes an active role in supporting a subordinate's professional goals, such as nominating them for promotions, recommending them for high-profile projects, or championing their cause during meetings. In this context, sexual attraction can be seen as a barrier to effective sponsorship since it creates potential conflicts of interests between sponsors and protégés.
If a sponsor has intimate relationships with several protégés, they may not give equal attention to all equally, resulting in favoritism or bias. Moreover, sponsors who are sexually attracted to their protégés may prioritize personal needs over professional ones leading to misuse of power, abuse of authority, or manipulation. As a result, sponsored individuals may fail to receive adequate support, guidance, or opportunities leading to career stagnation or even termination.
Development opportunities refer to programs, initiatives, or experiences designed to help individuals improve their skills, knowledge, and competencies within an organization. Such programs could include training, coaching, networking events, conferences, or developmental assignments. When sexual attraction is involved, it can influence how employees access these opportunities since some managers may favor those they are attracted to over others. This can lead to unfair treatment where certain employees are given preferential treatment based on their looks, personality traits, or body language.
Sexualized interactions between employees may hinder the creation of safe learning environments that promote growth, innovation, and collaboration. Therefore, development opportunities must be equitable, fair, and accessible to all regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or relationship status.
Sexual attraction affects informal mentoring, sponsorship, and development opportunities by creating boundaries, limiting communication, fostering bias, and compromising professionalism. Organizations should put measures in place to address this issue such as implementing anti-harassment policies, providing clear guidelines for workplace conduct, offering comprehensive training on sexual harassment, and promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of employee engagement.
How does sexual attraction affect informal mentoring, sponsorship, and development opportunities?
Informal mentoring is defined as “a relationship where an experienced individual provides guidance, support, encouragement, and advice to another person who is seeking such help” (Hall, 2017). Sponsorship involves the transfer of resources and benefits from one individual to another for career advancement purposes (Baldwin & Wachter, 2006). Development opportunity refers to professional growth through training or experience (Kim & Burke, 2018).