BOTTOM POWER: FEMALE SEXUALITY AND IMPLICATIONS ON WORKPLACE COLLEGIALITY IN NIGERIA DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS

Abstract

Female sexuality has been traced to have serious implications for workplace collegiality, especially in deposit money banks in Nigeria. Female sexuality, which is expressed through appearance, verbal and non-verbal communication, and interpersonal behaviors such as flirting, engaging in sexual conversations, or sexual relationships, has been seen to result from female physical attractors such as waist–hip ratio. These physical attractors have affected the workplace in a typical deposit money bank in Nigeria, where those who are favourably disposed to such physiques are unduly favoured by male managers or decision-makers. This has not only brewed envy and jealousy but has also promoted many workplace deviances, decreased productivity, and negatively affected collegiality in the workplace. This study was aimed at finding out whether sexually appealing female bank employees receive undue preference over their colleagues who do not possess such attributes, and specifically to ascertain whether sexual appeal affects workplace deviance and collegiality due to resentment from female workers who do not perceive themselves as the preferred ones. The study adopted a cross-sectional and correlational quantitative design, complemented with non-participant observation, involving 400 female employees (aged 18 to 40) drawn from 10 banks in urban cities of Aba, Umuahia, Owerri, Okigwe, and Enugu in Southeast Nigeria. Findings revealed that sexually appealing female staff enjoy preference from male managers in deposit money banks, and that female workers with low sexuality resent those with high sexuality, which has created an environment for workplace deviance and promoted a lack of teamwork. It is therefore recommended that more women should be included in the decision-making processes of these banks.