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Question

I'm surprised by this, especially the part about male morale.



Culture
Sex Talk at Work Hurts Bottom Line

By Robin Nixon, Special to LiveScience

posted: 14 April 2009 10:06 am ET
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Some people enjoy flirtation and sexual innuendos in the workplace, and others find it rude, but either way it seems to drag down everyone's morale. Especially among men, a surprising new study reveals.

In a new study of 238 people, 10 percent of women and 46 percent of men who had experienced office titillation, such as listening to a lewd joke or being approached in an overtly sexual way, found it enjoyable rather than bothersome. In a follow-up study of 1,004 employees, 40 percent had encountered sexual behavior on the job and half rated it a pleasurable or benign occurrence.

So you might think that sex talk boosts the morale of many in the workplace.

In fact, pundits have long argued that banning all sexual references, in fear of harassment charges, sterilizes the work environment and undermines office productivity, said lead researcher Jennifer Berdahl of the University of Toronto.

"All sexual behavior does not equal sexual harassment ... because some people obviously enjoy it," Berdahl said. And since enjoyable environments have been linked to better morale and productivity, she thought the pundits could be correct.

They aren't.

It didn't matter if employees found lewd behavior fun or rude. Either way, the more they experienced it, the lower their morale, the studies found.

The detriments seem particularly strong in heterosexual all-male interactions, i.e. "frat house behavior," Berdahl said.

"Men may feel pressure to laugh, but they walk away feeling uncomfortable, like they were humiliated slightly," she said. "A lot of these behaviors are designed to 'one-up' another man."

Women, too, feel small when exposed to such behavior, perhaps because it highlights their weaker physicality in an environment where they should be seen as equals, write Berdahl and colleague Karl Aquino of the University of British Columbia.

The researchers offer two theories on why people who like locker room behavior in the office feel just as lousy as those who hate it. One is that sexual banter is a guilty pleasure, like eating junk food or having too much to drink.

"You might sit down and eat an entire bag of Cheetos and think 'Mmmm, that was good,' but afterwards you just feel gross, and it might impede your work," Berdahl said.

An additional cause could be the degradation of office morale in general. When employees are hung over from sexual intoxication, including those who find it offensive (often the majority), it can cause a strain on working relationships, Berdahl said.

Even when it is fun and flattering, she said, "it may not be sexual harassment, but it is unprofessional and a detriment to the work environment."

The research is detailed in the January issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology.

Answer 1

It is an intriguing study. The same could be applied to jokes about color, etc.



When I was much younger a man made innuendos all the time, and I was very uncomfortable. I learned he had done this to every white woman who worked there, but never to his own race. In this, I saw that he dehumanized us because we just happened to be born some other color. I reported it, but I was the one they let go...I took the opportunity to go back to college and get my BS CS/English minor.



Later, when I had an extremely high success rate, I was working in my cubicle in my familiar tunnel vision way. A man that I knew only slightly came up behind me and started massaging my neck; It felt great, I was so stiff. This continue for many months; sometimes generalized comments such as "if we were just not married..." When I realized how involved we had become, I started working from home. When I went into the office, he accosted me with questions: Where have you been? You didn't even call me, why? etc.



So, while it was great for my morale, I did not see the danger to his. I never acknowledged my attraction to him after that. Soon, he no longer stopped to massage my neck. (Darn it! I liked that!)



Did our touches make other men uncomfortable, feel less adequate as I had ignored them, or what? I don't know. I just take myself to safety now, but realized that I am only existing, not really living. That realization came from answering this questing. t

Answer 2

Probably th intent why Warnie does not instruct here's on the grounds that nobody has requested him! I bear in mind going to hear Dennis Lillee speak a while in the past and any individual requested him the query as to why he used to be serving to bowlers style an additional nation and he mentioned that nobody from the Australian Cricket Board (or whoever it possibly) has ever requested him to aid an Aussie bowler. Can you suppose any individual with the proficiency of our D K Lillee NEVER getting requested to aid considered one of our possess nations bowlers?? This is why such a lot of of our beyond gamers head international to teaching roles coz it appears if you conclude gambling cricket for Australia, we do not desire you not more!! I say those men must move in which they may be able to get a role teaching, if that's what they desire to do. Wherever it'll take them!! After all, if probably the most video games greats (and no longer speaking simply Aussies right here) went to probably the most "minnow" nations, it'll upgrade cricket ultimately is not it?? Anyway, i suppose I have digressed sufficient. I could say he would not move to England even though as he has run out of ladies over there.....

Answer 3

It fits in with my experience.



The article addresses the 3 main points: men feel uncomfortable because the frat-house atmosphere is mostly about competition between men; women feel uncomfortable because it's humiliating/threatening; and both sexes feel uncomfortable because it's sleazy/unprofessional.



We can all enjoy a bit of fun and flattery but like everything else, time, place and quantity (i.e., context) are key.

Answer 4

so, in other words, they want to muzzle us a little further as if we were not deprived of freedom of speech already.

I think that those talks are detrimental but not on the same account as those people pretend to change things around:



It is just that I bet only certain privileged people feel free to speak up and use their tongues to say junky things, whereas others know they cannot afford to say anything.



And this is detrimental at work, about any subject.

Some are talking loud and showing off their power, while others have to shut up and just work.



And that happens not only in offices but everywhere and it is not fair.

Answer 5

well, its a good research. talking about sex its all the time fun but after a while its non sense. people every where talk about some thing that makes them delight but it cant fill the gap that is inside them.if sex joke cant fill the gap so there is another thing can. what is it? people feel happy when the chat about it and u can easily see their lives shine. hopefully, a research will be done about it soon.

Answer 6

nice study.



unspoken at the office, but every one feels it.



doing it to one-up a man? sounds like a lot of hide and seek and fake laughs. oh yes fake does bring the morale down.