Table 1.
Workplace romance beliefs.
| Item | 1986 [11] M N = 351 |
2022 M N = 259 |
d | 95% CI | t | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sexual relations foster better communication between the workers involved. a | 2.05 (SD = 1.53 *) |
3.00 (SD = 1.38) |
0.65 | 0.48, 0.81 | 7.91 | <0.01 |
| 2. Some sexual intimacy among coworkers can create a more harmonious work environment. a | 3.30 | 3.32 (1.34) |
0.01 | −0.15, 0.17 | 1.68 | 0.867 |
| 3. When two workers cultivate a relationship that eventually leads to marriage, it enhances their creativity as a unit and helps their company’s bottom line. a | 3.51 | 3.98 (1.27) |
0.33 | 0.17, 0.49 | 4.03 | <0.01 |
| 4. A person’s personal life is not the business of management. b | 5.44 | 5.61 (1.29) |
0.12 | −0.04, 0.28 | 1.45 | 0.148 |
| 5. A manager should be unconcerned with an employee’s sexual habits. b | 5.14 | 5.22 (1.58) |
0.05 | −0.11, 0.21 | 0.630 | 0.529 |
| 6. Management should take strong steps to discourage sexual propositions toward coworkers. | 5.27 | 4.37 (1.69) |
−0.56 | −0.73, −0.40 | −6.87 | <0.01 |
| 7. Supervisors who direct sexual attention toward their subordinates should be reprimanded. | 5.71 | 5.76 (1.27) |
0.04 | −0.13, 0.20 | 0.428 | 0.669 |
| 8. Any worker who directs sexual attention toward another should be reprimanded. | 3.83 | 3.77 (1.53) |
−0.04 | −0.20, 0.12 | −0.479 | 0.632 |
| 9. It is alright for someone to look for a marriage partner at work. b | 5.15 | 4.95 (1.44) |
−0.13 | −0.30, 0.03 | −1.64 | 0.102 |
| 10. It is alright for someone to dress attractively to draw the attention of coworkers. | 4.71 | 4.17 (1.53) |
−0.35 | −0.52, −0.19 | −4.31 | <0.01 |
| 11. A certain amount of sexual joking and innuendo in the workplace should be tolerated. a | 4.77 | 3.53 (1.59) |
−0.80 | −0.97, −0.63 | −9.73 | <0.01 |
| 12. I would be offended by a coworker flirting with the supervisor. | 4.42 | 4.12 (1.70) |
−0.19 | −0.35, −0.03 | −2.28 | 0.023 |
| 13. I would go along with sexually oriented behavior that was common in my work group. | 3.10 | 3.25 (1.52) |
0.10 | −0.06, 0.26 | 1.20 | 0.231 |
| 14. I would never get intimately involved with a coworker. c | 3.51 | 3.64 (1.97) |
0.08 | −0.09, 0.24 | 0.917 | 0.359 |
| 15. I would never get intimately involved with my supervisor. c | 4.43 | 5.32 (1.81) |
0.54 | 0.38, 0.70 | 6.57 | <0.01 |
* Estimated SD = 1.53. a WRV—workplace romance is valuable. b DPWR—demand privacy about workplace romance. c AWR—anti-workplace romance. Items without subscripts were not included in the analysis.