Ethics Paper: Romance at Work

Mini Paper: Male and Female Leaders

There are four ethics papers in the course, each requiring you to review information on a particular ethical issue, seek additional information on the topic, and integrate the course material.This paper is due at the end of Module 7 and deals with the issue of romance at work. Specifically, it examines the implications of organizational policies that prohibit such relations as well as workplace situations where no such policies exist.In October of 2009, David Letterman, host of CBS's Late Show, revealed to his audience that he was the target of an extortion plot over allegations that he had sexual relationships with female staff members. He also admitted that the allegations were, in fact, true.

The case resulted in renewed interest for the issue of workplace romance, though some commentators believed Letterman's case was more of an abuse of power than romantic relations with colleagues.Journalists and commentators were quick to point out other famous examples of workplace romances, such as that of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama or between Bill and Melinda Gates. A study from 2000 reported that 80% of American employees surveyed have had a romantic relationship at work. This shows that these types of relationships are prevalent. Employers need to develop strategies for addressing the positive and negative aspects of this issue.There are conflicting opinions among managers, human resource experts, and the general population regarding office romance and whether or not strict policies (commonly referred to as anti-fraternization or no-dating policies) should be implemented to deal with the potentially serious problems that can occur.

• Pick one side of the controversy, making an ethical case for or against allowing romantic relationships in the workplace.

• Discuss how companies can address the various issues related to workplace romance.

The resulting paper should be a summary and analysis of the ethical issues involved. Organize your paper into the following sections:
1. Title page

2. Table of Contents

3. Introduction (1-2 paragraphs summarizing the task for this assignment)

4. Background (brief summary of the debate surrounding workplace romance, the ethics involved, and the side of the controversy you will be taking in the paper)

5. Analysis (brief analysis of the ethical issues on either side of the debate. Be sure to relate this discussion to the course material and other relevant external resources used)

6. Conclusion (1-2 paragraph review of your findings)

7. References

Work should be submitted in a Word document, 2-3 pages in length (excluding the title, the table of contents, and the references pages), typed double-space in 10- or 12-point Arial or Times New Roman font. The page margins on the top, bottom, left side, and right side should be 1 inch each. You should include a title page, and use the APA guidelines for citing and referencing sources.

The paper analyzes all the issues related to workplace romance thoroughly and draws connections between related issues.
The paper integrates key concepts from the readings with the analysis of ethical issues.