Relational Implications of Gay and Lesbian Workplace Romances: Understanding Trust, Deception, and Credibility

Abstract

This study examines the relational implications of same-sex workplace romances (WRs) and compares results with findings for heterosexual WRs. Working adults (N = 147; M age = 30.87 years old) read a scenario describing a same-sex WR and completed measures of deception, trust, and credibility. Results indicate that employees trust gay and lesbian peers dating superiors less, are more likely to deceive them, and view them as less credible than gay and lesbian peers dating other peers. Employees also perceive gay coworkers as more caring and of higher character than they perceive lesbian coworkers. Comparisons with prior research indicate that peers report less deception with gay and lesbian coworkers and higher perceptions of gay and lesbian coworkers’ caring and character compared with heterosexual coworkers. Sex of the peer affected perceptions of gay and lesbian, but not heterosexual peers. There were no differences in the effect sizes for dating a superior versus a peer between gay and lesbian and heterosexual WRs.

Male-Female Workplace Friendships: Third Party Coworkers' Perceptions of and Behavior toward Organizational Peers in Cross-Sex Workplace Friendships

“…Furthermore, results indicated that trust in the individual involved in the workplace romance mediated the relationships between status of the individual's dating partner and solidarity, the honesty and accuracy of self-disclosure, and deception. This pattern of results was also observed for gay and lesbian workplace romances; peers dating superiors were trusted less, were deceived more, and were perceived as less credible than organizational peers dating other peers (Horan & Chory, 2013).…”

Love at the Office? Understanding Workplace Romance Disclosures and Reactions from the Coworker Perspective

“…Pertinent questions need to be answered, namely how do WR participants disclose their WR status to others in the organization and how does this disclosure effect WR reactions? Horan and Chory (2013) encouraged future research focused on how employees learned of WR; the Caughlin (Afifi & Caughlin, 2006;Caughlin et al, 2008;Caughlin et al, 2009) studies also support the need for such research. Collectively, their findings demonstrated the negative implications associated with maintaining a secret over time and, further, how one discloses a personal secret influences reactions to the disclosure.…”

“…The previous discussion notwithstanding, communication scholars have focused little attention on WR (Horan & Chory, 2009, 2013Pierce et al, 1996), and researchers are critical of the methodological rigor of the existing scholarship (Mainiero, 1986). Despite the limited amount of research, extant studies suggest that these romances produce no positive organizational outcomes (e.g., Cole, 2009;Powell, 1986) and may hurt productivity (e.g., Dillard & Broetzmann, 1989;Dillard, Hale, & Segrin, 1994).…”

“…Prior studies have acknowledged the lack of research examining how coworkers learn of WR and have encouraged future studies to explore this area (Horan & Chory, 2013). Simply, how one learns of information influences their reactions.…”

Why and How Organizational Members Encourage Their Peer Coworkers to Voluntarily Exit the Organization: An Investigation of Peer-Influence Exit Tactics

“…Workplace romances are defined as emotional, physiological, and consensual relationships in which two members of the organization share mutual sexual attraction (Sias, 2009b). According to Horan and Chory (2013), employees appear to be becoming more accepting of workplace romances. Workplace romances can have positive impacts on the employees involved in them and on the larger work environment.…”