What are sexual attractions?
Sexual attraction is the emotional, romantic, and/or physical desire toward another person of any gender or sexual orientation. It is an innate human trait that can range from subtle liking to intense lust. Attraction has different forms, including platonic, physical, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and so on. Individuals may feel attracted to a specific age group, body type, hair color, eye color, race, religion, political affiliation, profession, occupation, educational level, social class, economic status, intelligence level, and more. This paper addresses how sexual attractions affect team cohesion, morale, and collective identity within organizations.
How does sexual attraction affect team cohesion?
Team cohesion refers to the degree to which team members identify themselves as part of a unified group and interact with each other harmoniously. Sexual attraction between team members often creates tension because it threatens the cohesiveness of the team. The presence of a physically attractive member may make others envious or jealous, leading to conflict within the team.
Attraction may also foster closeness and collaboration, especially if both parties share similar interests or values. In cases where teammates have mutual feelings, they tend to work together better than those who do not.
Two athletic players in the same sports club may develop sexual ties, creating an intimate bond that strengthens their relationship outside the court. This could result in better performance during games and competitions. Alternatively, one athlete's infatuation with another may ruin team spirit by causing distractions and conflicts among the rest of the members. When this happens, the organization might consider changing its policy regarding romantic relationships between teammates to avoid disruptions.
How does sexual attraction impact team morale?
Morale is the overall emotional state of team members, reflecting how satisfied they are with their job and team environment. Team morale suffers when there is no sense of belonging, equality, fairness, justice, or support. It thrives when workers feel valued, appreciated, acknowledged, and empowered. Sexual attraction can influence morale positively or negatively depending on several factors, including social norms, cultural beliefs, gender roles, religious views, and personal preferences.
When team members have mutual attractions, they feel good about themselves and each other. They see their colleagues as more attractive, approachable, intelligent, skilled, and capable. This improves their confidence levels, motivation, and productivity. If there are hidden desires and unrequited love, however, it may cause frustration, resentment, jealousy, and envy. Members may engage in sabotaging behaviors or harassment, such as gossiping, backstabbing, slandering, ostracizing, bullying, etc., which lowers morale significantly.
How does sexual attraction affect collective identity?
Collective identity refers to a group's shared beliefs, values, and characteristics that distinguish them from others. Attractions create cohesion by enhancing closeness and intimacy within the group but pose a threat to its integrity if not managed well. When teammates fall in love, they become emotionally connected, making them identify more with each other than the organization or team goals.
Two employees who begin dating may be less inclined to contribute to the organization's mission because they prioritize their relationship over work duties. Moreover, outside relationships may result in favoritism, nepotism, discrimination, and cliques, which can divide the team into factions. Such divisions undermine unity and trust among members, thus lowering efficiency and performance.
Sexual attraction has significant implications on team dynamics, including team cohesion, morale, and collective identity. While mutual attractions can enhance interpersonal relations and improve collaboration, it can also lead to conflicts and distrust. Organizations should develop policies regarding romantic relationships between coworkers to promote harmony and productivity. Team leaders should ensure all members feel valued regardless of gender, race, age, physical appearance, or orientation, fostering a positive environment for everyone.
To what extent do sexual attractions modify team cohesion, morale, and collective identity?
Team cohesion is a dynamic process that involves individuals' beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and emotions toward each other as well as external environmental factors (Bandura, 1964). While there are several studies exploring how sexual orientation impacts various components of team performance (e. g. , satisfaction, motivation), few have examined its effects on team cohesion specifically. A meta-analysis by Cramer et al.