...2015 Article 6 January 2015 Favoritism: Ethical Dilemmas Viewed Through Multiple Paradigms I-Pang Fu Pennsylvania State University, ipangfu@psu.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://scholar.valpo.edu/jvbl Part of the Business Commons Recommended Citation Fu, I-Pang (2015) "Favoritism: Ethical Dilemmas Viewed Through Multiple Paradigms," The Journal of Values-Based Leadership: Vol. 8: Iss. 1, Article 6. Available at: http://scholar.valpo.edu/jvbl/vol8/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Business at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Journal of Values-Based Leadership by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. Favoritism: Ethical Dilemmas Viewed Through Multiple Paradigms I-PANG FU, M.ED. SMEAL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY Favoritism is a controversial issue in many cultural settings. Related terms include nepotism and cronyism; all three are identified with misconduct in the merit-based business world. The flip side is ethics — the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group (MerriamWebster, 2012). According to John Dewey (1902), “Ethics is the science that deals with conduct insofar as this is considered to be right or wrong, good or bad.” Since favoritism is perceived as being linked to workplace misconduct, it is necessary to use ethics...
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...future workplace. Never mix business with pleasure is a saying that I commonly hear. Judging from a survey from 2003, the majority of supervisors and executives would agree with that statement. 81% of human resource professionals and 76% of executives said workplace romances are dangerous because they can lead to conflict within the organization (Lyrem, 2003, p. 1). As a result of these findings, Consensual Relationship Agreements, which are also called love contracts, could be an important tool used to address potentially offensive behavior from parties involved in dating and relationships. Offensive behaviors include kissing, hugging, winking, verbal affection, and hostile language or speech (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). If offensive behavior was to occur, it could dramatically lesson the effectiveness of employees. In workplace settings, certain inappropriate behaviors could limit the ability of workers to perform efficiently. A Consensual Relationship Agreement (CRA) is essentially a written “contract” in which the romantically involved parties acknowledge the following: Their relationship is voluntary and consensual, they agree to abide by the employers anti-discrimination , anti-harassment, and workplace conduct policies, they promise to report any perceived harassment to management, if it occurs, they agree to behave professionally and not allow the relationship to affect their work performance, they agree to avoid behavior that offends others in the workplace and they...
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...doing this project. We also thank our friends who took out their precious time to participate in our survey We also want to thank the IME Department and this institute for providing this learning and also assisting in infrastructure and administrative work. We are grateful to all the professors for their guidance and support at each step. Their insights and teachings have played a critical role in developing this report. ABSTRACT The purpose of the project is to find out the attributes that is considered as favoritism in the workplace. A different person has different perceptions about favoritism, for someone if one factor is considered as favoritism for other it is not being considered. It’s about the perception, whether it is being considered as favoritism or not. Every attributes creates different scenario in different industry, in such scenario people over working in that industry has different perception over the attributes, whether that attributes fosters favoritism or not. Here...
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... ineffective, and unnecessary and that they can cause as many problems as they solve. Identify the specifics reasons and examples that might justify these criticisms. Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRAs) are “essentially a written “contract” in which the romantically involved parties acknowledge the following: Their relationship is voluntary and consensual. They agree to abide by the employer’s antidiscrimination, anti- harassment, and workplace conduct policies. They promise to report any perceived harassment to management, if it occurs. They agree to behave professionally and not allow the relationship to affect their performance. They agree to avoid behavior that offends others in the workplace. They agree not to engage in favoritism” (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2011). The critics of consensual relationship agreements do so based on the legal ramifications as well as the possibility that the relationship itself could possibly disrupt the work environment. “A romantic relationship between a manager or supervisor and his or her subordinate may result in allegations of favoritism, with coworkers claiming that the subordinate has received preferential treatment as a result of the relationship. For example, the subordinate may receive longer breaks, be given preferred shifts or receive unfairly favorable reviews. Over time, this perception of favoritism could lower employee morale and productivity. These complaints also may trigger sexual harassment claims against an employer...
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...Consensual Relationship Agreement What is Consensual Relationship Agreement? Workplace is one of the most important places in our lives. We spend about one-third to half our life in the workplace. In the workplace blossom many romances, but the break-up of relationships is a common source of sexual harassment claims. Consensual Relationship Agreement (CRAs). Consensual relationship policy is an important tool in managing the risk of sexual harassment claims and reducing perceptions of favoritism. However, it must be considerately created and administered with care. I will analyze the concerns of CRAs at workplace, critics of CRA, the ethical intensity of CRSs from the perspective of the employer, specific ethical principles of CRSs, argument against and for the use of CRAs in my current workplace Ruby Tuesday restaurant. The Find Law website mentions a survey developed more than 15 years ago, on 1995, estimates that 80 percent of all employees have either observed or been involved in a romantic relationship at work. Employees have asserted claims for sexual harassment based on the theory that they can't receive the same benefits because they are not "sleeping with the boss." However, most courts have rejected this argument because such a consensual relationship disadvantages both male and female employees equally. The exception, of course, is where a supervisor propositions many employees, and only those who acquiesce receive preferential...
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...obstacles organizations must overcome in the workplace. They could be defined clearly as one in which both parties consented to the relationship - agreed to it, however when it comes to the work place it can be better defined as romantic, amorous and/or sexual relationships between consenting employees. Today, more men and women are working together than at any point in U.S. history. Sometimes sexual attraction in the working environment is clearly mutual, sometimes it is well-concealed, and sometimes it is very difficult to determine. So that’s why there has been workplace policies being put out on most organizations around the world like Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRA). Although it is more or less a new theory that is being implemented in a lot of organizations, it is being implemented fast. I am working in the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in The United States; it is a segment of the Saudi Arabian embassy. In the organization I work in Consensual Relationship Agreements are not yet implemented officially as in there no contract binding the relationship but it is also implemented. Working in a conservative organization where the culture is different from US culture puts several environmental pressures that could relate to a Consensual Relationship Agreement implemented in the organization. The conservative Middle Eastern culture usually doesn’t condone relationships developing between co-workers within the workplace and for romantic, amorous and/or sexual relationships...
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...of office romances would likely result in marriage, but that 28 percent of these office relationships may result in complaints of favoritism from coworkers, 24 percent in sexual harassment claims, and another 24 percent in the decreased productivity of the employees involved (Wilson). After careful contemplation of the deontological and utilitarian theories, I have determined that the rules and regulations restricting dating on the job are necessary in countervailing the employer’s legitimate business interests in avoiding unnecessary litigation and legal liability in maintaining a fair and professional work environment. EMPLOYER’S BUSINESS CONCERNS When defending its decision to regulate its employees' sexual relationships, management often points to its perception that such relationships will lead to conflicts of interest, favoritism, and inefficiency resulting from spending time and energy on non-work social activities, and reduced morale or jealousy of co-workers. However, by far, the greatest concern employer’s voice is that one of the parties, or another employee, will charge the company or one of its employees with sexual harassment. In a 2001 Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) survey, ninety-five percent of human resource professionals cited a "potential for claims of sexual harassment" as a reason to ban or discourage workplace romances (Pearce). Under the guise of protecting their employees from sexual harassment, employers are continuously expanding...
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...Consensual Relationship Agreements Shavonnie J Deans Dr Sonia Heywood BUS520: Leadership and Organizational Behavior July 22, 2012 In today’s society, a majority of one’s time is spent inside of the workplace. Due to working so closely with the opposite sex, some may develop interest in others and a relationship is developed. According to Ruth Houston, author of Problems that Consensual Relationship Agreements Cause, today’s workplace is the new singles bar or place for people to engage into extramarital affairs. These relationships often raise eyebrows, lead to whispers at the water cooler and blank stares in the break room leaving some co-workers in discomfort. In order to protect themselves as well as the employees organizations have incorporated into their policies consensual relationship agreements or CRA’s. Hellriegel and Slocum define CRA’s as a written contract in which the romantically involved agree to acknowledge certain terms in regards to their relationship. These contracts are used in the best interest of organizations to avoid any issues that may arise such as sexual harassment, discrimination or violations of workplace conduct policies. This paper will discuss the benefits of using consensual relationship agreements (CRA’s), arguments used against it, the ethical principles involved as well as other options that can be used in place of CRA’s. Should all organizations include consensual relationship agreements...
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...role of a manager is being a good role model to his or her employees. “A role model is a person who serves as a model in a particular behavioral or social role for another person to emulate” (Role Model, 2009). This statement means that a manager as a role model needs to lead by example. In this paper, we will discuss moral and ethical dilemmas managers face as a role model and the relationship between ethical responsibility and social issues. “Managers are probably the most important ingredient in an organization’s success and they are often overlooked” (Trevino, & Nelson, 2007). Trevino and Nelson also stated that “managers are the lens through which employees view the company, as well as the filter through which senior executives view employees.”(Trevino & Nelson, 2007). This can put a lot of stress and pressure on a manager. Managers must realize that what they say is not as important as what they do. They can talk all they want about different ethics and morals, but if they do not follow what they say, their employees will not listen. As an example, teachers are role models to students, parents are role models to children, and pastors are role models to followers. In the workplace today, managers can have a huge impact on employees to move up in a company. Managers handle performance evaluations which eventually can delay or help an...
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...which many have sworn by. Yet, in today’s workplace, there are many who have made the decision to pursue and maintain interoffice relationships. This is likely attributed to the record number of working women currently in the workforce, high divorce rates, longer working hours and increased dedication to the job. Across nearly every industry and organization, corporate will has attempted to minimize the inevitable wave of affection and affairs by means of frowning upon its existence, legislating, transferring, firing and revising handbooks and company policies (Sills, 2008). Why? Possibly to avoid major disruption in the workplace related to social, professional and financial conflicts. As a result, several companies have developed consensual relationship agreements (CRAs). Hellreigel & Slocum (2011) define CRAs as written contracts in which involved parties acknowledge their relationship as voluntary and consensual, agree to abide by workplace policies, and agree to avoid behaviors that could potentially offend or influence each other or fellow employees. The benefits and ramifications of implementing such an agreement have been highly debated by both employees and employers. The following paper will provide arguments for and against the use of CRAs, discuss the ethical principles involved, and identify a possible alternative to CRAs that would also address workplace romances. Consensual Relationship Agreement: The Pros Workplace fraternization has the potential to negatively...
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...Relationship Agreement (CRAs) between coworkers, corporate vice-presidents, executives, and/or managers in the workplace. It will present arguments for and against the use of CRAs in the workplace by analyzing the relationships between the basic organizational behavior models of individual groups and organizational processes. Additionally, this paper will discuss the ethical principles that are involved in the use of a CRA, how ethical decisions are made within an organization as it pertains to a CRA, and how these relationships impact and/or affect productivity. Finally, it will explore other options that would address the issue of workplace romance (Don Hellriegel & John W. Slocum, Jr., 2011). Keywords: Consensual Relationship Agreements, CRA(s) CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIP AGREEMENTS (CASE STUDY) Discussion What is a Consensual Relationship Agreement (“CRA”)? “An agreement signed by employer and employees confirming that a romantic or sexual relationship between employees is voluntary and consensual” (Don Hellriegel & John W. Slocum, Jr., (2011). Let us face it, in today’s society; the majority of us spend most of our waking hours during the week, and for some, the weekend as well, at work. I would estimate that at least 30 to 40 percent of those waking hours are spent in the company of our coworkers rather than our family. At most workplaces, those hours are spent working very closely with coworkers, which creates the potential for meeting and...
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...- Bus 520 January 23, 2013 Consensual Relationship Agreements Argument For Workplace romances can lead to accusations of poor judgment, breaches of ethics, favoritism, lost productivity, poor employee morale, sexual harassment claims and even workplace violence. Such concern has led an increasing number of companies to institute "consensual relationship agreements," also known as "love contracts." (Kurtz, 2012) People dating each other in the workplace can wreak havoc on an organization, especially a small organization. Attitudes toward workplace romance are changing -- at least for millennial employees. A whopping 84 percent of workers ages 18-29 say they would have a romantic relationship with a co-worker, compared to just 36 percent of Generation X workers (ages 30-46) and 29 percent of Boomers (age 47-66), according to a recent Workplace Options survey. And 40 percent of Millennials say they would have no problem dating their supervisors (compared to just 10 percent of older generations). More than one-third of employees aren’t sure if there’s a company policy about dating at the office. If your business doesn't have such a policy, it’s time to consider it. Nearly half the employees surveyed say office romances are going on at work, and even if they don’t care, you need to be concerned about sexual harassment charges and complaints about perceived (or real) employee favoritism. Therefore it's essential for HR professionals to accept the likelihood of office...
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...honesty, respect, and dignity of the rights of individuals as well as groups of individuals. Applying these standards in the workplace is essential to the success of an organization. When identifying various problems in the workplace associated with ethical behavior, interoffice relationships tend to weigh heavy. “A 1998 survey by the Society for Human Resources Management predicted that 55 percent of office romances would likely result in a marriage, but that 28 percent of these office relationships may result in complaints of favoritism from coworkers, 24 percent in sexual harassment claims, and another 24 percent in the decreased productivity of the employees involved” (Wilson, Filosa & Fennel, 2003). Due to these troubling statistics, employers have been faced with enforcing policies outlining workplace relationships as protection from litigation and liability (Wilson, Filosa & Fennel, 2003). A consensual relationship agreement (CRA) is a policy which is being adopted to avoid such issues (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). A CRA is a contract between the romantically involved individuals acknowledging they have a consensual relationship and agree not to engage in favoritism or allow their performance to be affected (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). The CRA would also outline the employee’s obligation to follow company policy on workplace conduct (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). While some individuals may agree with enforcing a CRA policy, others may argue against...
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...disagree with having relations with employees. In my opinion, I actually do not mind if two coworkers decide to date each other. Furthermore, this research paper will consist of different opinions and facts about Consensual Relationship Agreement. First, as far as my current work place, I believe that if two employees decide to have relations with one another than they should sign the CRAs to protect themselves. For instance, as stated in the Organizational Behavior textbook a CRAs is considered to be a written “contract” that involves parties who are romantically involved (Slocum, 2011). However, the CRAs also protects the relationship between the two parties because it has various “rules” that the two employees must acknowledge. For example, one rule states that the couple must agree to behave in a professional manner and to not allow the relationship to affect their work performance. With this rule, I feel like the few couples at my job do not really abide by this agreement because I have witnessed a few of my coworkers argue about their outside...
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...antidiscrimination , anti-harassment, and workplace conduct policies, they promise to report any perceived harassment to management, if it occurs, they agree to behave professionally and not allow the relationship to affect their work performance, they agree to avoid behavior that offends others in the workplace and they agree to not engage in any favoritism. This is especially vital when one person is of higher ranking and has the authority to influence opportunities to other employees. Critics of the CRA’s assert that they are too intrusive, ineffective, and unnecessary and that they can cause as many problems as they solve. Some individuals believe that the reason for having employees who are in a relationship to sign a CRA include decreasing sexual harassment litigation risk. After the relationship fails the contract can be used to refute such claims because it provides compelling evidence that the employees entered the relationship voluntarily. There are many reasons why some may feel that CRA’s are ineffective. Consider whether consensual relationships have a positive or negative impact on the morale of the workplace. For example: if you have a business that mainly employs teenagers or college age employees, this may cause many problems if a “no dating” policy is implemented. This policy must clearly state whether dating employees is against policy or just not recommended. If the policy only advises against dating employees in the workplace it should indicate some form of documentation...
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