According to one of the foremost scientists studying such workplace romances, that may not be such a bad thing. Charles A. Pierce, a professor of psychology at Montana State University-Bozeman specializing in industrial and organizational psychology, says scientific data shows workplace romances can result in productive employees. In certain circumstances, workplace romances can be okay.
Employees often channel romantic energy to work tasks.
They bring enthusiasm and energy to their work. As one of the few psychologists in the country studying workplace romance, Pierce is taking workplace romance out of the realm of water cooler gossip and into the pages of scientific journals. The MSU professor's work has recently appeared in a number of scholastic publications, including a recent article in the Journal of Organizational Behavior. The popular press has also found Pierce. He has recently been quoted in the New York Times, USA Today, Psychology Today and Fast Company magazines.