Summary of the Article
· The article I gained access to is titled, if you have a close relationship with your boss, you’re more likely to lie, cheat, and make other unethical decisions on their behalf, by Jennifer Jordan and Tim Vriend.
· In basic terms, the article advances the argument that strong relationships, outside of the professional realm, at the workplace could be breeding grounds for unethical behavior.
· It should, however, be noted that the article does not discourage the forging of great relationships at the workplace. As a matter of fact, the authors are categorical that strong work relationships could come in handy in the promotion of job satisfaction and morale. Instead, it advances the perspective that even in the development of close relationships, all those involved should be notified that unethical behavior will not be condoned.
Impact of the Article
· The article is an important resource for anybody keen on understanding the nature and conduct of organizational inter-personal relationships.
· The authors provide timely advice to organizational employees/executives on how they should relate with their seniors.
· The article could be considered a crystal glass of sorts in as far as predicting the consequences of breaching professional boundaries in workplace relationships is concerned.
Summary of what I Learned
To a large extent, I learnt that the relevance of professional engagements cannot be overstated in organizational settings. In essence, I came to the realization that the closer people get, the more likely they are to secure the interests of each other. As a matter of fact, in the words of Jordan and Vriend (2020), “people who report stronger relationships with their bosses are more likely to engage in bad behavior on their behalf… like misrepresenting the truth or withholding negative information about them to make their manager look good.” In the final analysis, therefore, we should always be keen to not to veer off the professional boundaries in as far as engagements with our colleagues and seniors are concerned. I was not surprised by the findings because they project some aspects of human behavior.
References
Jordan, J. & Vriend, T. (2020). If you have a close relationship with your boss, you’re more likely to lie, cheat, and make other unethical decisions on their behalf. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/good-relationship-with-your-boss-may-lead-to-unethical-behavior-2020-10?IR=T
