16 February,2010 11:28 AM IST | | ANI
Most colleagues aren't bothered by office romances as long as they don't negatively affect the workplace, a new study has shown.
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"Most people believe romantic relationships are OK as long as they don't affect productivity, de-motivate other colleagues or have an impact on the overall work environment," says Nina Cole, Ryerson University professor.
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Cole's study involved 100 employees who were pursuing either full- or part-time studies at Ryerson University, and who had, at one point, observed a romance in the workplace.
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The majority of those romances involved two single employees (75 per cent) in a peer-working relationship (76 per cent) in the same department (65 per cent). The average length of these office romances was 20 months.
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The study found that participants believe certain conditions warranted managerial action with office romances such as: when the performance of co-workers was negatively affected; where the work environment was negatively impacted; and when negative emotion from a break-up affected a work environment previously unaffected by a workplace romance.
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Employees also believe action should be taken when there is an office romance between a manager and an employee in the same department.
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"Clearly, there are specific situations when co-workers perceive that managerial action should be taken. But they don't believe action should be taken all of the time," Cole said.
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Cole believes it is important to implement policies about office romances even though it's an acceptable practice most of the time.
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"Even a general policy is good. It acknowledges that office romances are a fact of organizational life, but it also sends the message that you shouldn't let romantic relationships affect the workplace," Cole said.
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The study was published in December 2009 in the Journal of Business and Psychology.
