Moving beyond a legal-centric approach to managing workplace romances: Organizationally sensible recommendations for HR leaders

Human Resource Management

Volumn 48, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 447-464

  Pierce, Charles A ^a   Aguinis, Herman ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS   (United States)

^b INDIANA UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Business policy and law; Employee training; Performance management; Sexual harassment; Strategic HR management; Workplace romance

Indexed keywords

EID: 67650221855     PISSN: 00904848     EISSN: 1099050X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/hrm.20289     Document Type: Article

References (75)

1. Aguinis, H. (2009). Performance management (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
2. Aguinis, H. & Kraiger, K. (2009). Benefits of training and development for individuals and teams, organizations, and society. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 451-474.
3. Aguinis, H., & Smith, M. A. (2007). Understanding the impact of test validity and bias on selection errors and adverse impact in human resource selection. Personnel Psychology, 60(1), 165-199.
4. Amaral, H. P. (2006). Workplace romance and fraternization policies. Schmidt Labor Research Center, Seminar Research Series. Unpublished manuscript, University of Rhode Island.
5. American Management Association. (2003, February 10). Workplace dating: 44% of office romances led to marriage, AMA survey shows. Retrieved July 3, 2007, from http://www.amanet.org/press/amanews/workplace_dating.htm
6. Anderson, C. J., & Fisher, C. (1991). Male-female relationships in the workplace: Perceived motivations in office romance. Sex Roles, 25(3/4), 163-180.
7. Beu, D. S., & Buckley, M. R. (2004). Using accountability to create a more ethical climate. Human Resource Management Review, 14(1), 67-83.
8. Bowes-Sperry, L., & Powell, G. N. (1999). Observers' reactions to social-sexual behavior at work: An ethical decision making perspective. Journal of Management, 25(6), 779-802.
9. Brown, M. E., & Treviño, L. K. (2006). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions. Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), 595-616.
10. Brown, T. J., & Allgeier, E. R. (1995). Managers' perceptions of workplace romances: An interview study. Journal of Business and Psychology, 10(2), 169-176.
11. Brown, T. J., & Allgeier, E. R. (1996). The impact of participant characteristics, perceived motives, and job behaviors on co-workers' evaluations of workplace romances. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26(7), 577-595.
12. CEO of Boeing resigns. (2005, March 8). Atlanta Journal-Constitution, pp. C1, C8.
13. Clarke, L. (2006). Sexual relationships and sexual conduct in the workplace. Legal Studies, 26(3), 347-368.
14. Cortes v. Valle, 253 F. Supp. 2d 206 (D.P.R. 2003).
15. Cupid in the cubicle, says new Vault survey. (2005). Retrieved July 3, 2007, from http://www.vaultreports.com/nr/newsmain.jsp?nr_page=3&ch_id=420&article_id=23513899
16. Devine, I., & Markiewicz, D. (1990). Cross-sex relationships at work and the impact of gender stereotypes. Journal of Business Ethics, 9(4/5), 333-338.
17. Dillard, J. P. (1987). Close relationships at work: Perceptions of the motives and performance of relational participants. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 4(2), 179-193.
18. Dillard, J. P., & Broetzmann, S. M. (1989). Romantic relationships at work: Perceived changes in jobrelated behaviors as a function of participant's motive, partner's motive, and gender. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 19(2), 93-110.
19. Dillard, J. P., Hale, J. L., & Segrin, C. (1994). Close relationships in task environments: Perceptions of relational types, illicitness, and power. Management Communication Quarterly, 7(3), 227-255.
20. Eidelhoch, A. M., & Russell, B. M. (1998). Consensual relationship agreements: One more weapon in the arsenal for fighting sexual harassment in the workplace. Preventive Law Reporter, 17(3), 21-23.
21. Fisher, A. B. (1994, Oct. 3). Getting comfortable with couples in the workplace. Fortune, 130(7), 138-143.
22. Foley, S., & Powell, G. N. (1999). Not all is fair in love and work: Coworkers' preferences for and responses to managerial interventions regarding workplace romances. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20(7), 1043-1056.
23. Greenberg, J. (1987). A taxonomy of organizational justice theories. Academy of Management Review, 12(1), 9-22.
24. Gregg, R. E. (2004, May/June). Restrictions on workplace romance and consensual relationship policies. Journal of Medical Practice Management, 19(6), 314-316.
25. Grossman, R. J. (2007, June). New competencies for HR. HR Magazine, 52(6), 58-62.
26. Hansen, M. (1998). Love's labor laws. American Bar Association Journal, 84(6), 78-80.
27. Harris, L. C., & Ogbonna, E. (2006). Approaches to career success: An exploration of surreptitious careersuccess strategies. Human Resource Management, 45(1), 43-65.
28. Herbst, M. (2006, February 14). Want to date your office mate? Go right ahead, companies say. Retrieved May 12, 2008, from http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2006-02-14/herbst-officeromance
29. Hoffman, L., Clinebell, S., & Kilpatrick, J. (1997). Office romances: The new battleground over employees' rights to privacy and the employers' right to intervene. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 10(4), 263-275.
30. Jones, G. E. (1999). Hierarchical workplace romance: An experimental examination of team member perceptions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20(7), 1057-1072.
31. Jones, T. M. (1991). Ethical decision making by individuals in organizations: An issue-contingent model. Academy of Management Review, 16(2), 366-395.
32. Judge, T. A., & Watanabe, S. (1993). Another look at the job satisfaction-life satisfaction relationship. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(6), 939-948.
33. Karl, K. A., & Sutton, C. L. (2000). An examination of the perceived fairness of workplace romance policies. Journal of Business and Psychology, 14(3), 429-442.
34. Mainiero, L. A. (1986). A review and analysis of power dynamics in organizational romances. Academy of Management Review, 11(4), 750-762.
35. Mainiero, L. A. (2005). On the ethics of office romance: Developing a moral compass for the workplace. In R. J. Burke & M. C. Mattis (Eds.), Supporting women's career advancement: Challenges and opportunities (pp. 151-173). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
36. Mano, R., & Gabriel, Y. (2006). Workplace romances in cold and hot organizational climates: The experience of Israel and Taiwan. Human Relations, 59(1), 7-35.
37. Massengill, D. (1997). Not with your husband (or wife) you don't! The legality of no spouse rules in the workplace. Public Personnel Management, 26(1), 61-76.
38. Moen, P., & Sweet, S. (2002). Two careers, one employer: Couples working for the same corporation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 61(3), 466-483.
39. Oakstone v. Postmaster General, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23828 (D. Me. 2004).
40. O'Leary-Kelly, A. M., & Bowes-Sperry, L. (2001). Sexual harassment as unethical behavior: The role of moral intensity. Human Resource Management Review, 11(1/2), 73-92.
41. O'Leary-Kelly, A. M., Lean, E., Reeves, C., & Randel, J. (2008). Coming into the light: Intimate partner violence and its effects at work. Academy of Management Perspectives, 22(2), 57-72.
42. Parks, M. (2006, January). 2006 workplace romance poll findings (Report No. 06-0019). Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource Management.
43. Paul, R. J., & Townsend, J. B. (1998). Managing the workplace romance: Protecting employee and employer rights. Review of Business, 19(2), 25-30.
44. Pierce, C. A. (1998). Factors associated with participating in a romantic relationship in a work environment. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(18), 1712-1730.
45. Pierce, C. A., & Aguinis, H. (1997). Bridging the gap between romantic relationships and sexual harassment in organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 18(3), 197-200.
46. Pierce, C. A., & Aguinis, H. (2001). A framework for investigating the link between workplace romance and sexual harassment. Group and Organization Management, 26(2), 206-229.
47. Pierce, C. A., & Aguinis, H. (2003). Romantic relationships in organizations: A test of a model of formation and impact factors. Management Research, 1(2), 161-169.
48. Pierce, C. A., & Aguinis, H. (2005). Legal standards, ethical standards, and responses to social-sexual conduct at work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(6), 727-732.
49. Pierce, C. A., Aguinis, H., & Adams, S. K. R. (2000). Effects of a dissolved workplace romance and rater characteristics on responses to a sexual harassment accusation. Academy of Management Journal, 43(5), 869-880.
50. Pierce, C. A., Broberg, B. J., McClure, J. R., & Aguinis, H. (2004). Responding to sexual harassment complaints: Effects of a dissolved workplace romance on decision-making standards. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 95(1), 66-82.
51. Pierce, C. A., Byrne, D., & Aguinis, H. (1996). Attraction in organizations: A model of workplace romance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 17(1), 5-32.
52. Pierce, C. A., Muslin, I. S., Dudley, C. M., & Aguinis, H. (2008). From charm to harm: A content-analytic review of sexual harassment court cases involving workplace romance. Management Research, 6(1), 27-45.
53. Powell, G. N. (1986). What do tomorrow's managers think about sexual intimacy in the workplace? Business Horizons, 29(4), 30-35.
54. Powell, G. N. (2001). Workplace romances between senior-level executives and lower-level employees: An issue of work disruption and gender. Human Relations, 54(11), 1519-1544.
55. Powell, G. N., & Foley, S. (1998). Something to talk about: Romantic relationships in organizational settings. Journal of Management, 24(3), 421-448.
56. Quinn, R. E. (1977). Coping with cupid: The formation, impact, and management of romantic relationships in organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 22(1), 30-45.
57. Rabin-Margalioth, S. (2006). Love at work. Duke Journal of Gender Law and Policy, 13, 237-253.
58. Riach, K., & Wilson, F. (2007). Don't screw the crew: Exploring the rules of engagement in organizational romance. British Journal of Management, 18(1), 79-92.
59. Roehling, M. V., & Wright, P. M. (2006). Organizationally sensible versus legal-centric approaches to employment decisions. Human Resource Management, 45(4), 605-627.
60. Schaefer, C. M., & Tudor, T. R. (2001). Managing workplace romances. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 66(3), 4-10.
61. Schultz, V. (2003). The sanitized workplace. Yale Law Journal, 112(8), 2061-2193.
62. SHRM. (1998). Workplace romance survey (Item No. 62.17014). Alexandria, VA: SHRM Public Affairs Department.
63. SHRM. (2002). Workplace romance survey. Alexandria, VA: SHRM Public Affairs Department.
64. Spragins, E. (2004, February 1). Dangerous liaisons: As small firms relax their rules on office romances, some face unexpected consequences. Fortune Small Business. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2004/02/01/360633/index.htm
65. Summers, R. J., & Myklebust, K. (1992). The influence of a history of romance on judgments and responses to a complaint of sexual harassment. Sex Roles, 27(7/8), 345-357.
66. Treviño, L. K., Weaver, G. R., & Reynolds, S. J. (2006). Behavioral ethics in organizations: A review. Journal of Management, 32(6), 951-990.
67. Tyler, K. (2008, February). Sign in the name of love: Can " love contracts" decrease an employer's litigation risks and keep office romances in check? HR Magazine, 53(2), 41-43.
68. Ulrich, D., & Brockbank, W. (2005). The HR value proposition. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
69. U.S. EEOC. (1993). Proposed guidelines on harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age or disability. Federal Register, 58(189), 51266-51269.
70. U.S. EEOC. (2008, February 26). Sexual harassment charges EEOC & FEPAs combined: FY 1997-FY 2007. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from http://www.eeoc.gov/stats/harass.html
71. Werbel, J. D., & Hames, D. S. (1992). Are two birds in hand worth more than one in the bush: The case of paired employees. Human Resource Management Review, 2(4), 317-328.
72. Werbel, J. D., & Hames, D. S. (1996). Anti-nepotism reconsidered: The case of husband and wife employment. Group and Organization Management, 21(3), 365-379.
73. Wilson, R. J., Filosa, C., & Fennel, A. (2003). Romantic relationships at work: Does privacy trump the dating police? Defense Counsel Journal, 70(1), 78-88.
74. Wolkenbreit, R. (1997). In order to form a more perfect union: Applying no-spouse rules to employees who meet at work. Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, 31(1), 119-165.
75. Wylie, I. (2006, January 14). Should employers encourage office relationships? The Guardian. Retrieved May 20, 2008, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/jan/14/careers.work1/print