Organizational Behavior

Individual Assignment

Sexual harassment should not be tolerated at the workplace.

Workplace romances are natural occurrence in the
organizations.
Are both these statements true? Can they be reconciled?
 WORKPLACE ROMANCES
Why and how does romance happen between co-workers in a workplace?

 Continuous Interaction
 Similar environmental factors
 Alternative solution to supervisor-subordinate predicament

In 1977, Robert E. Quinn, author of the first widely cited research article on workplace
romance, defined organizational romance as a relationship between two members of the
same organization that is perceived by a third party to be characterized by sexual
attraction.
 ROMANCE @ Work!
Some studies report that an astonishing
80% of American employees have
experienced some type of romantic
relationship at work (Copley News
Service, 2000).

Even Microsoft's CEO, Bill Gates, met

his wife at work.

A survey by Vault.com, an Internet site

for the career advancement of
professionals, recently reported that
office romances are a company-wide
epidemic (Business Wire, 2000b)
 SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Workplace romance is mutual between the two employees whereas
sexual harassment refers to unwelcome sexually determined
behaviour, whether directly or by implication in the form of -

 physical contact and advances

 a demand or request for sexual favours
 sexually-coloured remarks

(Source: Supreme Court judgement)

 WHY DO EMPLOYERS CARE?
Why do employers care what their employees do in their private lives?
After all, it's their personal business, isn't it?

 Many times the activities of an employee's private life affects their

professional life and the organization in which they work and have
negative consequences on productivity

 Employers are concerned about sexual harassment charges and the

potential for huge penalties, settlements, and legal fees

 Loss of valuable employees who are unhappy working alongside

someone who is receiving preferential treatment because of an
office relationship
CAN BOTH ROMANCE AND INTOLERANCE
TOWARDS SEXUAL HARASSMENT CO-
EXIST?
YES!
Both can co-exist when the organization supports the Emerging View

There are essentially two opposing positions on managing the risks associated with office
romances while maximizing productivity and office morale.

1. The AUTHORITATIVE view

2. The EMERGING view

(Source: SAM Advanced Management Journal (07497075), 2001 by Thomas R. Tudor, Cindy
M. Schaefer)
 1.The AUTHORITATIVE view
 Establishing strict company policies to
regulate or prohibit dating.

 Simple and effective (absolute ban)

 Legal and ethical resistance on continuous

monitoring of employees (privacy policies)

 Difficult to draw the line on the basis of offence

 Employers must ascertain whether they are willing and prepared

to terminate valuable, highly trained employees
 2. The EMERGING view
 A more casual, humanistic view, realizing that employers cannot
regulate love or their employees' personal lives.

 Office romances are not something to prohibit, but to manage

 Lack a written policy but have an unwritten understanding that

employee dating is discouraged.

 Educate the employees about what is allowed at the workplace and

what is not.

 Ambiguous working environment for employees as policies are not

clearly defined or communicated.
THANK YOU