Montana State University |
Montana State University |
by Carol Schmidt
BOZEMAN 5/3/96 -- Ah, spring. Time for a young man's heart to turn to ... the woman sitting at the next computer.
According to one of the foremost scientists studying such workplace romances, that may not be such a bad thing.
Charles A. Pierce, a professor of psychology at Montana State University-Bozeman specializing in industrial and organizational psychology, says scientific data shows workplace romances can result in productive employees. Instead of a blanket policy forbidding them, Pierce recommends workplace romances be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
"In certain circumstances, workplace romances can be okay. In fact, they can be beneficial," Pierce said. "Employees often channel romantic energy to work tasks. They bring enthusiasm and energy to their work."
As one of the few psychologists in the country studying workplace romance, Pierce is taking workplace romance out of the realm of water cooler gossip and into the pages of scientific journals. The MSU professor's work has recently appeared in a number of scholastic publications, including a recent article in the Journal of Organizational Behavior.
The popular press has also found Pierce. He has recently been quoted in the New York Times, USA Today, Psychology Today and Fast Company magazines.
Pierce thinks one reason his research has attracted so much attention is the pervasiveness of workplace romance. Studies show that as many as 80 percent of U.S. employees report some sort of social-sexual experience on the job. The workplace is now the most likely place for Americans to meet a romantic partner, Pierce said. That's because of the ever-increasing number of women in the labor force and longer hours worked by most employees, he said.
Pierce and his research partner, Herman Aguinis at the University of Colorado-Denver, have come to their conclusions after combing through hundreds of articles dealing with interpersonal relationships and office organization. Their research continues with surveys of large, mid-sized and small organizations.
Their preliminary findings are, that under certain conditions, workplace romances can increase productivity, motivation, job satisfaction and involvement. On the down-side, such romances may also negatively affect employee gossiping and managerial decisions.
As a result of his research, Pierce is critical of traditional management policy that unilaterally forbids, and even punishes, workplace involvements.
"They are forming blanket policies not based on research," Pierce said.
"I have read everything I can find on workplace romances and it does not appear that workplace romances are decidedly bad."
Pierce said he began his research not because he was involved in a work relationship, but because he happened to thumb through a popular women's magazine while waiting in line at the grocery store.
"The cover had a headline about a story on workplace romances," Pierce said. "I was in my second year of grad school (at State University of New York, Albany studying under noted social psychologist Donn Byrne) and interested in the areas of attraction and organizational behavior. I thought workplace romance was a way to combine the two."
After several years of research, Pierce believes he has just scratched the surface of his topic. He is now broadening his research to examine the effects of dissolved workplace romances, as well as sexual harassment allegations and implications on management policies.
"I like the topic," Pierce said. "Others seem to be excited about it too. The research has been well-received."
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