Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Research Paper Example

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Introduction For a long time, the problemof sexual harassment has permeated many organizations. There have been various reports of employees being harassed sexually at the workplace by their seniors, bosses and supervisors. In many instances, the junior employees approach their relationship with their seniors with fear. For that reason, there are few instances of senior employees being sexually harassed by junior staff. However, that does not eliminate the possibility that there may be also sexual harassment of senior staff by junior staff. This topic is relevant to my field as it is affects many people. Sometimes such abuses go unnoticed. It has the potential to ruin an organization, thus it should be taken seriously. The topic is of interest to me since it an abuse whose roots should be understood so that it is done away with completely. Statement of the Problem Whichever way sexual harassment happens in an organization, the fact that it is an ethical issue as well as a legal issue makes it a serious workplace issue. Various states and nations have passed legal regulations to contain the vice. In spite of this, many instances of sexual harassment go unnoticed. Sometimes perpetrators are not even aware that their actions are construed to imply sexual harassment. For that reason, it is an issue that should be addressed comprehensively. Sexual abuse at workplace is an everyday problem against which employees should be cautioned. Literature Review: Supporting Research Sexual harassment has remained rampant in various workplaces Snyder, Scherer and Fisher (2002-2006). For instance, research in social organization and social ties attribute sexual harassment and victimization to work environment in America. This research used about 3530 men and women in employment. The logistics regression was separately carried between men and women to reveal the environmental impacts on the risk of sexual harassment on the different sexes. This research revealed that most employees who work in social disorganization environment were at higher risk of sexual harassment. Moreover, workplace characterized with poor time management, law productivity and lack of administrative support are prone to sexual harassment. This research lacked significant gender difference in its model as a show that the predictors of sexual harassment are similar across the gender. Through viewing the exploratory pilot study by Lamar and Viola (2008) on sexual harassment, tangible conclusions were reached. This pilot study used mixed -method research. It analyses associations between marital status, childhood experiences, workplace environment and relations of religious or spiritual beliefs to sexual harassment. Moreover, this study used registered nurse questionnaire. Here, it explains the impacts of workplace sexual harassment on registered nurses. The results had that sexual conversations that were rampant in work environment were being fuelled by physicians. Nurses in leadership positions were also reported as victims of inappropriate behaviors. Larger number of those interviewed reported forms of emotional child abuse, sexual or physical. Some denied their mothers as being role model to them at tender age. Some recognized prayers as being helpful to them at difficult times. This survey gives a clue on spiritual impacts that bulling and harassment cause on victims. It indicates that most victims resorted into silent for the fear of worsening the already existing problem. Majority of sexual misconducts were reported to be performed by male physicians in leadership positions. Male nurses were reported to be in threat of hard punishment by their fellow males in higher authority. Part of the measures should include counseling focusing on spiritual harmony of the victims. Sierra, Compton and Frias-Guierrez (2008) made some positive research on the effects of sexual harassment in the work places. They had questions from four scales viewed to reflect on sexual harassment, brand image, attitudes towards brand and intentions to work. They made remarks that; despite the influence of the image of the firm to the prospective employees in seeking employment, sexual harassment determines brand image view of the workplace. This research shows that businesses should engage on internal activities that minimize sexual harassment within the firms in order to attract qualified employees via competition. These results show that positive organizations in the internal working conditions of a firm may help in attraction and retention human-labor. It therefore suggests the following measurements; Educating competent employees by including sexual harassment contents in business curriculum. Secondly, encouraging customers to report any negative treatment to the appropriate authority. Pierce, Aguinis and Adams (2000) ventured on a research to determine the effects of workplace romance and kinds of responses to sexual harassment claims. Their research was based on sheriff employees of about 266 in total. Here, management research, theory and practice were viewed. Some of the conclusions that were reached were as follows. That male and female do not differ on their sexual intimacy and romance at workplace. Moreover, raters’ perception of couple’s romance may have influence on reaching proper judgment. It was realized that judgments made differed depending on rater characteristics and romance types. Legitimization theory is pointed out as an effect of previously dissolved workplace romances on raters’ regarding their responses to sexual harassments. For instance, Complains of sexual harassment can at times be legitimized based on the prior history of workplace romance. However, education policy should include topics on sexual morality at workplace. Park, Cho and Hong (2023-2014) made research on workplace violence against nurses. It was conducted at a university hospital in South Korea in the year 2013 to identify perpetrators of workplace violence against nurses. It would also look at the relationship of justice, trust and work demands in the workplace with presence of violence. About 970 female nurses from 47 nursing units were sampled. Copenhagen questionnaire was used to measure trust, justice, work demands and violence. Here, the variables were examined via multiple regression analysis modeling. The findings here revealed that verbal abuse was highest, followed by violence threats, physical violence, and sexual harassment, while bulling occurred the least. Threats of violence, physical violence and verbal abuse were found to be common in ICU. Operating rooms were identified with bulling and sexual harassment. The main perpetrators were identified in the following sequence as patients, physicians and patients’ families. Nurses with greater work demands and justice and less trust were likely to be victims of violence. Justice, less trust and great work demands were associated with nurses’ experiences of violence. This analysis also shows that just work environment and trust may curb violence in nursing profession. With the decrease of violence, there would emerge better working environment. The research by Mainero and Jones (2013) was based on the general influence of social media to the workplace. In fact, the research elaborated the influence of contemporary social media on workplace romance and sexual harassment. The survey revealed the existence of workplace romance with some employees admitting dating their colleagues. Other employees admitted having dated persons at the higher levels organization. However, increase in workplace romance is seen to be triggered by the use of modern technology. Cole (2009) revealed that rise in workplace dating through the new technology. On the other hand, romance in workplace has been found to be the genesis of most sexual harassment in workplace, especially when it is not well concluded. To this extent, Mainero and Jones (2012) provided set of ethics that may help human resource managers deal with the existing problem of workplace romance. First is the use of proactive strategy through social media and textual media as sexual harassment training. Second is the use of reactive strategy to solve an already existing situation. Hanson, Perrin, Moss, Laharnor and Glass (2015) carried research to find out the conditions of homecare workers in various homes. Female homecare workers were recruited in Oregon to help in survey through on-line interview. The demographics used included measures to assess workplace violence, stress, burnout, fear, depression and sleep problems. The outcome of this survey of about 1214 participants was as proved positive.50.3% showed verbal aggression, 23.6% reported workplace violence, 29.6% reported workplace violence, sexual harassment was at 25.7% and sexual aggression was at12.8%. These conditions were related to stress, sleep problem, depression and burnout. These problems were realized to be demoralizing most homecare workers. In conclusion, this survey proposed the training in safety programs based on procedures and policies that looks onto the affairs of homecare workers. Dionisi, Barling and Dupre (2012) on analysis of outcomes of experience on workplace aggression and sexual harassment by supervisors proved quite successful. This research identified and addressed many issues within contemporary workplace aggression and sexual harassment research, with the view to consider the role of the target gender, recorgonize and control for covictimization, conceptualize their multidimensional nature and compare and contrast dimension between the two. A data sample of 467 employed women aging between 40 years was analyzed through multiple analysis and dominance regression. The findings of this analysis associated all forms of sexual harassment with psychological wellbeing and work withdrawal than workplace aggression. Variance in attitudinal outcomes was accounted for via nonphysical workplace regression than nonphysical sexual harassment. Sexual harassment determined more of the variance than workplace aggression in all kinds of outcome. In conclusion, this analysis presented both theoretical and practical understanding of workplace association and sexual understanding. Charlesworth, McDonald and Cerise (2008) surveyed sexual harassment through the use of data from American Human Rights Commission. Survey was to analyze the existence of sexual harassment in Australia. Australian residence totaling to 2,005 between ages 18 to 64 years based on ages , area of residence and gender took part. This survey was conducted in two sections with 1005 and 1000 participants respectively. Group one accepted while group two denied experiencing sexual harassment. The survey help define sexual harassment through naming, claiming and blaming. The perception of sexual harassment through naming, claiming and blaming is seen to be relying on legal interpretation as a means of redress for the victims. In conclusion, a number of sexual harassment goes unreported because of the confused understanding of sexual harassment. Berdahl (2007) in his literature argues that sexual harassment cuts across all genders. The writer defines sexual harassment as the ability to protect social status through gender hierarchy. According to this scholar, sexual harassment is caused by the desire to protect an individual’s social status when it seems threatened, a practice that happens across all genders. The author argues that there exists a chain of workplace sexual harassment. These are, men-to-men, men-to-women, women-to- women and women-to men sexual harassment. This scholar tries to look at the legal and social theories of sexual harassment. Backhouse (2012) is a first person memoir. The book titled, The secret oppression; sexual harassment of working women, was the first Canadian feminist book written earlier in 1978. It narrates the past male dominated society in which women were to be seen and not to be heard. According to the author, the term sexual harassment as first coined in 1975 at Canada in a gathering attended by over 250 women. This book captures the social, economic and cultural context on the debate of sexual harassment. The main purpose of this book was and is still to date the tool for women’s liberation of the yoke of oppression through sexual harassment. This article by Frisch (2014) tries to view some of the conditions for sexual harassment definitions. This author highlights the effects of sexual harassment definitions as given by various courts of law. The various definitions given would influence the view of any claimed act whether it fits to be considered as sexual harassment. It therefore views how various laws have affected various judgments that were claimed to be harassment. Finally, it views the effects of both federal and state interpretation on sexual harassment on classic cases. This article shows that sexual harassment definitions can be useful to judges in looking at the aggregation of sexual harassment claims. Discussion and Recommendation Sexual harassment has no universal definition. Various scholars have tried defining it in their own understanding. Some of the definitions include the following. It a sex discrimination ranging from request for sexual favors, unwelcome sexual advances and any verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature. Scholars have managed to identify two types of sexual harassment as hostile work environment harassment and quid-pro-quo harassment. The quid-pro-quo harassment occurs when an employee rejects or submits sexual advances, conducts or requests in exchange for some valued items. Watkins, Smith and Aquino (2023). Here, conditions may lead to demotion or promotion, continuation or termination of employment, change of duties or working hours. On the other hand, hostile-work –environment harassment occurs when the unwelcome sexual requests, conducts or advances are pervasive, severe to alter the working conditions of an employee. Theorists hold different views on the existence of workplace sexual harassment. Some argues that it is a phenomenon that is only experienced by women while others view it as a double blow for both men and women. Moreover, other scholars argue that sexual harassment at workplace is slightly higher on women than men. The Equal Employment Opportunity commission in the United States also supports the above claim. The statistics from this commission reveals that out of 12,696 complains of workplace sexual harassment it received in the year 2009, a total of 84% were female, Snyder, Scherer and Fisher (2012). However, women tend to be the centre of forces in workplace sexual harassment. Here many theorists tend to claim that workplace sexual harassment emerged with the introduction of women employees in workplaces. These theorists even argue that it was due to the fear of competition between men and women that sexual harassment arose in workplaces. Scholars like Backhouse (2012) even tend to portray that her involvement in competitive workplaces like law was a threat to men. Nevertheless, it is true that sexual harassment may be high on women side compared to men, but that should not rule out that men are also experiencing the same problem. In fact, the works of Hanson, Perrin, Moss, Laharnor and Glass (2015) is misleading. These scholars had based their research on women only. The other problem is that their findings were done in one area, Oregon and so they ought not to have generalized their research. Moreover, the findings of Lamar and Viola (2008) on sexual harassment on nursing profession reveals that men like women would be sexually harassed. These findings therefore are true testimonials that sexual harassment cuts across regardless of gender Men on the other hand are also victims of workplace sexual harassment. For instance, men in nursing institutions get harassed either by their fellow men in higher positions or by women serving in higher ranks. For example, the survey by Lamar and Viola (2008) shows that men would be harassed by giving them hard punishments. Physicians in higher ranks tend to harass and even threaten men whenever they want to stamp their authority. It is therefore true to say that, men just as women are victims of workplace sexual harassment. Sexual harassment in workplaces is bad for many reasons. Berdahl (2007) posits that the root cause of sexual harassment is the need by men and women in various leadership positions to protect their social status. This argument holds some water because in most instances we realize situations where it is the senior persons in authority rising against the junior employees. On the other hand, scholars like Pierce, Anguinis and Adams (2000) hold that workplace romance is the genesis of all workplace sexual harassment. They therefore caution that people should look for better ways of ending the romance in peace lest it turn out to sexual harassment. It is, therefore, a problem that must be handled with care for the sake of harmonious living in workplaces. Lack of harmonious environment demoralizes workers and lack of morale may lead to law output. For instance, scholars like Sierra, Compton and Friias-Guierrer (2008) mentioned on their research that sexual harassment might determine the bond image view of the firm. The internal image of the firm may then work to the disadvantage or advantage of the firm. Conclusion In conclusion, sexual harassment cuts across irrespective of sexes. It is therefore good to view various methods for curbing the problem. First, it makes sense to accept that managers are the major stakeholders of various firms. Therefore, it is their work to identify and take full charge of the firms. According to Scherengohst (2011), strict laws in Massachusetts tend to hold supervisors responsible if they have knowledge of sexual harassment but failed to act on it. Such provisions within the law are very positive and thus may help serve both the employees on equal basis. Moreover, managers should encourage employees to report any form of mistreatment that they may encounter within their workplace. Secondly, education curriculum should encompass on teaching workers’ rights to help improve their conditions. Lastly, the lawmakers should give proper interpretation of the sexual harassment entails. References Pierce, C.A., Aguinis, H., And Adams, S.K.R. (2000).Effects of A Dissolved Workplace Romance And Rater Characteristics On Responses To A Sexual Harassment Accusation. Academy of Management journal 2000, Vol. 43, No. 5, 869-880. Backhouse, B. (2012). Sexual Harassment: A Feminist Phrase That Transformed the Workplace. CJWL/RFD. Berdahl, J.L. (2007). Harassment Based On Sex: Protecting Social Status In The Context Of Gender Hierarchy. Academy of Management Review 2007, Vol. 32, No. 2, 641–658. Charlesworth, S., McDonald, P., and Cerise, S. (2011). Naming and claiming workplace sexual harassment in Australia. Australian Journal of Social Issues Vol.46 No.2, 2011. Dionisi, A.M., Barling, J., and Dupré, K.E. (2012). Revisiting the Comparative Outcomes of Workplace Aggression and Sexual Harassment. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 2012, Vol. 17, No. 4, 398–408 Frisch, E. (1998). State Sexual Harassment Definitions and Disaggregation of Sex Discrimination Claims. Minnesota Law Review 98:1943. Hanson, G.C., Perrin, N.A., Moss, H., Laharnar, N., and Glass, N. (2015).Workplace violence against homecare workers and its relationship with workers health outcomes: a cross- sectional study. BMC Public Health Sample. Hershcovis, M.S., and Julian Barling, J. (2010). Comparing Victim Attributions and Outcomes for Workplace Aggression and Sexual Harassment. Journal of Applied Psychology 2010, Vol. 95, No. 5, 874–888 Jeremy J. Sierra, J.J., Compton, N., and Frias-Gutierrez, K.M. (2008). Brand Response-Effects of Perceived Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 14 (2), 2008. Lamar, S., and Viola, D. (2013). The Spiritual Impact of Workplace Sexual Harassment and Bullying on Nurses. The International Journal of Health, Wellness and Society Volume 2, Issue 2, 2013. Mainiero, L.A. and Jones, K.J. (2013). Sexual Harassment Versus Workplace Romance: Social Media Spillover And Textual Harassment In The Workplace. The Academy of Management Perspectives 2013, Vol. 27, No. 3,187-203. Park, M., Cho, S., and Hong, H. (2015). Prevalence and Perpetrators of Workplace Violence by Nursing Unit and the Relationship Between Violence and the Perceived Work Environment. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2015; 47:1, 87–95. Schrengohst, K.L. (2011). Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Understanding the Supervisors Important Role in Prevention. DECEMBER 5, 2011. Retrieved from www.BusinessWest.com Snyder, J.A., and Schererb, H.L., and Fisherc, B.S. (2012). Social organization and social ties: Their effects on sexual harassment victimization in the workplace. Work 42 (2012) 137– 150. Watkins, M.B., Smith, A.N, and Aquino, K. (2013). The Use and Consequences Of Strategic Sexual Performances. The Academy of Management Perspectives 2013, Vol. 27, No. 3, 173-186. Read More