Online dating apps may have something to teach corporate leaders about responsible digital leadership, according to research published in the Global Business and Economics Review. The authors argue that the same kinds of tools millions use to find romance could be adapted as powerful platforms for networking, recruitment, and collaboration. The research connects two unlikely worlds: the ethics of leadership and the psychology of online dating.
The study focuses on what it terms responsible leadership: a model of decision-making that balances financial success with social good. This form of leadership considers the interests of all stakeholders, users, employees, and society at large, rather than homing in on the fiscal bottom-line. It operates across five key dimensions: general, economic, social, political, and environmental. The goal is to cultivate trust and a sense of shared purpose while managing the growing influence of technology in everyday relationships.
The research situates this discussion within the global dating industry, a market worth billions of dollars each year and serving hundreds of millions of users worldwide. These platforms now occupy a central role in the social life of many people. Once seen purely as venues for romantic connection, they have evolved into multifunctional spaces where people form friendships, exchange ideas, and even discuss work. This expansion has introduced new ethical challenges, such as privacy risks, emotional manipulation, and the uncertainty that comes with meeting strangers in virtual settings.
The study asks how leadership might manage this kind of uncertainty while encouraging authenticity. In digital spaces, people interact through carefully constructed profiles and selective disclosures. Without the cues of face-to-face communication, users must interpret limited information and make judgements about trust and sincerity. Responsible leadership, the researchers argue, involves designing systems that make these interactions safer and more transparent, while preserving the users’ freedom to experiment and express themselves.
Interviews with 250 dating app users reveal that many people adapt their online selves, sometimes exaggerating or reimagining aspects of their identity. Rather than treating this behaviour purely as deception, the study interprets it as a form of imaginative self-representation, a way of exploring alternative versions of the self. Digital life, in this sense, becomes a space where creativity plays a role in how people learn to relate to one another.
This interpretation carries implications beyond dating. As remote work and online collaboration become increasingly common, the same platforms once used for romantic encounters are now being used to network, recruit, and share expertise. The boundary between personal and professional life is becoming less distinct, raising questions about how to maintain privacy, trust, and ethical conduct in these hybrid environments.
The study proposes that leaders of digital platforms must develop strategic intelligence, which is a combination of analytical ability, foresight, and empathy. This approach recognises that online interaction always involves some degree of uncertainty, if not a world of pure imagination, but that uncertainty can be productive. It can foster innovation, openness, and understanding, if handled with care.
Schinzel, U. (2025) ‘Online dating platforms – and their link to responsible leadership and uncertainty avoidance – the key impact of imagination‘, Global Business and Economics Review, Vol. 33, Nos. 3/4, pp.321-338.
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