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Running head: SEXUAL HARASSMENT

SEXUAL HARASSMENT 7

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

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Introduction

Sexual harassment is one of the most prevalent yet poorly addressed misbehaviors in the workplace. According to Lee (2018), despite being commonplace in the modern workplace, most organization are still oblivious of its existence and the strategies for addressing it. Sexual harassment includes all uninvited and nonconsensual behaviors and comments as well as any form of sexual discrimination. The specific examples that constitute sexual harassment include the use of suggestive language and gestures, sharing of sexually inappropriate content, inappropriate touching, and uninvited use of sexual innuendos (McDonald, Charlesworth & Graham, 2016). Sexual harassment creates a workplace atmosphere that is not conducive for the employees to operate.

Human resource practitioners and researchers have increasingly had a growing interest in sexual harassment and its outcomes. Rather than examining sexual harassment as an isolated outcome that only affects an individual, researchers have adopted an organizational and global perspective when examining sexual harassment (McDonald, Charlesworth & Graham, 2015). The negative impact of sexual harassment on employee outcomes such as motivation, productivity, and commitment make it a critical concern for any organization. The impact of sexual harassment on the reputation of an organization also makes it a legitimate concern for all managers.

The changes in society show that there is a greater understanding when it comes to workplace sexual harassment (Lee, 2018). The #MeToo Movement and the high-profile cases and prosecutions associated with sexual harassment and assault in the workplace provide a strong indication that there is an increased appreciation for creating safe workspaces (Buchanan et al., 2018). The debate on what amounts to sexual misbehavior in the workplace has received richer conversations as highly vulnerable groups become more forthcoming on unwanted advances and dominant groups admitting ignorance (Lee, 2018).

Risk Factors

According to Russell and Trigg (2014), sexual harassment is a unique form of organizational misbehavior as it incorporate other subtle and obvious factors to remain entrenched in the organizational culture. Power, privilege, and influence are the key factors that play a significant role in enabling and promoting sexual harassment. The presence of significant and unchecked power disparities is associated with sexual harassment (McDonald & Charlesworth, 2016). According to McDonald et al. (2015), powerful individuals who lack checks and balance are able to nonchalantly break rules without the fear of being reprimanded. Organizations that do not address power balances risk sending a negative perception throughout the organization as the powerful employees feel untouchable and the meek victims feeling helpless.

Weak institutional structures have been linked with the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace. The organizations that do not have adequate and credible conflict resolution mechanisms risk being hotbeds for sexual harassment (Buchanan et al., 2018). This is because the individuals who commit sexual harassment are confident in their ability to cover up or get away with their indiscretions. Such organizations are also likely to disregard vulnerable groups such as women and members of the LGBT community (Lee, 2018). The discriminatory application of workplace norms leads to the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace (McDonald et al., 2016).

Organizational culture is another risk factor associated with sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. Cultures that are highly competitive and masculine are likely to encourage sexual harassment against women and other vulnerable groups such as members of LGBT community and people with disabilities (Zhu, Lyu & Ye, 2019). This emphasizes homogeneity as a significant risk factor that is strongly associated with sexual harassment in the workplace.

Recommendations

The responsibility for preventing and addressing sexual harassment in the workplace is the obligation of the organization and the employees. The ability of these two entities to work together towards a common goal of creating a safe workplace is strongly associated with the development of a healthy work environment (McDonald et al., 2015). Organizations have to create clear and easily accessible anti-harassment policies. The policies have to be communicated to employees and continuously revisited to ensure that they are consistent with the social standing and evolving workplace.

Organizations can address the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace by setting up grievance systems that are unbiased and devoid of any threat of retrogressive action against the reporting victims. According to Zhu et al. (2019), organizations do not fail because they lack grievance systems but because such institutions lack employee trust. Organizations can build confidence in such institutions by ensuring that the cases submitted are proactively and diligently followed and actioned. The employees should also be familiarized with the grievance system and process to ensure that they are effectively used. Training programs focused on sexual harassment are, therefore, effective in informing the employees of the existence of the policies and systems (Zhu et al., 2019). The training programs also help in addressing misconceptions, grey areas, and behaviors associated with workplace sexual harassment.

While these systems come in handy after the fact, there is the need to have an environment where sexual harassment is prevented before it occurs. Rather than taking a reactive approach to sexual harassment in the workplace, there is an increasing appreciation for proactive preventative approaches (McDonald et al., 2016). Increased engagement between the highly vulnerable minority groups and the majority is one of the ways in which the sexual harassment conversations are being normalized. The objective is to ensure that there is awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment, its impact, risk factors, and preventive measures. Organizations have to establish formal and informal platforms that encourage such conversations to be the norm rather than taboo.

Employees have an obligation to create an environment that is devoid of sexual harassment. The employees can contribute to the creation of a healthy organizational culture by supporting victims, policies and systems (Lee, 2018). This begins with a deliberate attempt to be familiar with the policies and being conscious of the risk factors and behaviors associated with sexual harassment. Organizations that have employees as allies in the creation of safe workplaces are in a strong position to create an environment where victims are more open to taking advantage of the grievance systems (Zhu et al., 2019). This is because they will feel protected from victimization and they will be supported by peers thus increasing the likelihood of getting a fair resolution.

In conclusion, the modern workplace has increasingly become aware of sexual harassment, its impact, and preventive measures. The employees and employer both increasingly recognize that they play a central role in creating an environment that is free of sexual harassment. Organizations have to address risk factors such as homogeneity, selective application of norms, negative organization culture, and weak institutional systems. Employees have to become more aware of what constitutes sexual harassment and actively contribute towards preventing and reporting cases of sexual harassment. They also need to support peers who have been affected by sexual harassment.

References

Buchanan, N. T., Settles, I. H., Wu, I. H., & Hayashino, D. S. (2018). Sexual harassment, racial harassment, and well-being among Asian American women: An intersectional approach. Women & Therapy, 41(3-4), 261-280.

Lee, J. (2018). Passive leadership and sexual harassment: Roles of observed hostility and workplace gender ratio. Personnel Review, 47(3), 594-612.

McDonald, P., Charlesworth, S., & Graham, T. (2015). Developing a framework of effective prevention and response strategies in workplace sexual harassment. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 53(1), 41-58.

McDonald, P., & Charlesworth, S. (2016). Workplace sexual harassment at the margins. Work, employment and society, 30(1), 118-134.

McDonald, P., Charlesworth, S., & Graham, T. (2016). Action or inaction: Bystander intervention in workplace sexual harassment. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(5), 548-566.

Russell, B. L., & Trigg, K. Y. (2004). Tolerance of sexual harassment: An examination of gender differences, ambivalent sexism, social dominance, and gender roles. Sex Roles, 50(7-8), 565-573.

Zhu, H., Lyu, Y., & Ye, Y. (2019). Workplace sexual harassment, workplace deviance, and family undermining. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(2), 594-614.