Causes, Effects and Solutions of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Essay Example

Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Sexual Harassment Introduction Sexual harassment is a form of bullying or intimidation that is sexual in nature. It often involves unwelcomed and continued sexual advances to another person against their wishes through verbal or physical conduct (Boland 3-5). Sexual harassment can take place in different circumstances, however in most cases the perpetrator is often in a position of authority or power over the victim. Cases of sexual harassment are usually common in work places, schools and other socio-economic environments. Although all genders can be perpetrators or victims of sexual harassment, women are often the victims, this is mainly due to socio-cultural constructions of power and gender (Cortina & Wasti 394). A study conducted by Fitzgerald & Shullman (1993) shows that sexual harassment is the most widespread form of violence against women. Sexual harassment in the workplace can be devastating to the victims and damaging to the organization. Therefore, there is need to find and implement solutions that will help to counter all forms of sexual harassment (Lopez et al 3). This paper seeks to examine the causes, effects and solutions of sexual harassment in the workplace particularly with regards to women as victims. Foremost, this paper will highlight the causes and effects of sexual harassment in the work place. Secondly, it will depict and illustrate solutions of countering sexual harassment that were proposed previously. Subsequently, this paper will persuasively propose new solutions that can be used to counter sexual harassment. Causes and effects of the problem According to Lopez et al (2009), causes of sexual harassment are interrelated and can be linked to factors such as values and cultures in workplaces and the society at large. Furthermore, some researchers claim that gender roles relative to status and power are some of the main causes sexual harassment (Lopez et al 14-21). The way in which women and men are brought up to view others and themselves strongly determines their behaviour. Different viewpoint may promote a climate that encourages sexual harassment. For example, some men are brought up in cultures that accentuate on patriarchy thus they view women as subjects. These values are in turn carried to their workplaces whereby they exploit women sexually in order to exert their dominance or authority over their female counterparts. On the other hand, some women are brought up to believe that they have an obligation to please men and hence they view themselves as individuals of lesser value than men. This in turn causes them to be unassertive in the face of harassment, this view point also encourages sexual harassment (Lopez et al 14-21). Increased cases of sexual harassment have also been associated with the lack of organization policies that address sexual harassment in organizations. A good number of companies lack clear policies on complaint procedures and disciplinary procedures of dealing with cases of sexual harassment. In organizations whereby these policies are available, there are not implemented fully and as a result a culture of impunity is encouraged (Lopez et al 14-21; Fitzgerald et al). The impacts of sexual harassment in the workplace vary based on the duration or the form of harassment subjected to an individual. Incidences of sexual harassment may be merely aggravating however in some circumstances sexual harassment can have life threatening effects to an individual especially if one is subjected to continuous and severe sexual harassment. For example, some of the effects associated with sexual harassment include, suicide, depression, stress, loss of trust , loss of work opportunities and decreased work performance among many other effects. Sexual harassment can also be damaging to an organization, it can lead to decreased productivity and job satisfaction, high labour turnover, increased conflicts, increased absenteeism, damage of the organization’s image and litigation (Buchanan & Fitzgerald 137–151). Previous Solutions There are three common approaches that have been used to deal with the sexual harassment issue in the organizational context. The most common approaches are preventive policies to deter the incidence of sexual harassment claims and responsive or reactive policies (Hunt et al 38). Preventive solutions have primarily taken the form of formulation and implementation of policies against sexual harassment in the workplace. Designed to act as both a deterrent and as reprieve, these policies define to employees the actions which constitute sexual harassment and often offer channels through which employees can report sexual harassment through establishment of grievance procedures and training or sensitivity programs (Hunt et al 40). However, these policies or interventions have not provided a parsimoniously effective solution to the problem. For instance, Thomas et al (2004) criticize a “top-down” approach in formulating these policies where senior management offer prescribed definitions and legalistic solutions to employees. As a result, the policies generated do not capture the consensus of the employees, do not address the root causes and end up appearing more reactive (Hunt et al pp 41-42). Marshall (2005) euphemistically refers the ineffectiveness of such policies as “idle rights”. She argues that while these policies appear detailed and formidable, they are often compromised by supervisors and superiors whose interpretations create acrimony between employees and management. As a result, female employees aggressively prepare to make claims on the perception of bureaucratic obstacles (Marshall 118). De Coster et al (1999) support this argument that hierarchical organizational bureaucracy is a major obstacle to the effectiveness of these policies and argue that more attention should be paid to individual organizational culture (De Coster et al 39). On the other hand, most of the literature on sexual harassment supports the idea that reactive policies are less effective than preventive policies (Hunt et al 55). This approach usually takes the form of complaint procedures that are either internal to the organization or externally imposed and internally adopted (Hunt et al 49). They lay the foundation for litigation by employees or advocacy groups against cases of sexual harassment in the workplace (Dobbin and Kelly 1203). One of the major shortcomings of reactive solutions is that they do not address organizational culture and often draw negative attention to organizations involved in such litigations. Executives also spend millions to counter harassment claims which protect corporation’s reputation at the expense of the original victim. As a result, management is keen to resolve these cases on individual basis or discreetly seek settlements as opposed to establishing sustainable preventive measures. Dobbin and Kelly (2007) conclude that reactive measures are primarily targeted at reducing the legal liabilities facing such organizations and less concerned with reducing the instances of sexual harassment in the workplace (Dobbin and Kelly pp1236-1237). Proposed solutions to counter sexual harassment There are two key levels of solutions that organizations can use to avert and effectively address incidences of sexual harassment. These levels of intervention include; prevention and response. An integration and implementation of these two interventions can effectively help to fight sexual harassment in the workplace. Prevention involves the use of strategies that prevent sexual harassment. Previously proposed solutions such as litigation often tend to deal with sexual harassment after it has occurred rather than preventing such acts from occurring, evidently.Some of the strategies that can be used to prevent sexual harassment include carrying out awareness campaigns and training programs which are geared towards sensitizing employees how they can avoid, report or address issues relating to sexual harassment. Moreover, conducting organizational health checks regularly can help to identify the potential risk factors that are bound to expose employees to sexual harassment. These preventive measures seek to address the root cause of sexual harassment by preventing it from occurring (Helge et al 39-46). Training is an effective strategy that can be used to prevent sexual harassments, training helps to clarify misconceptions with regards to what sexual harassment entails, it raises awareness amongst employees, it also helps to inform managers and other persons in authority their role and responsibilities in the fight against sexual harassment. Basically, training helps to quip employees and managers with the necessary skills that they can use when dealing with incidences of sexual harassment. A study conducted by Rutherford et al. (2006) sought to examine the measures used to prevent and deal with sexual harassment in the armed services. The findings of this study showed that effective training for line managers was strongly recommended since training was seen as not only a strategy of preventing but also a strategy of dealing with sexual harassment (Helge et al 39-46). As a response strategy of dealing with sexual harassment, the formation of complaint procedure in every organization is very crucial. The victims decision whether or not to report an incident of sexual harassment can be a very difficult decision however with an effective complaint procedure in the organization, cases of sexually harassment are handled effectively and that the interests of the victims are safeguarded. In addition, follow-up or investigation is another strategy that can be used to address incidences of sexual harassment (Helge et al 39-46). Conclusion Sexual harassment involves unwelcomed and continued sexual advances to another person against their wishes through verbal or physical conduct (Boland 3-5). Some researchers attribute cultural constructs with regards to gender roles, status and power to be the primary causes of sexual harassment (Lopez et al 14-21). Sexual harassment in the workplace can be devastating to the victims and damaging to the organization. Therefore, there is need to find and implement solutions that will help to counter all forms of sexual harassment (Lopez et al 3). Previously used solutions such as the formulation of policies and litigation have been proved to be relatively ineffective when it comes to addressing incidences of sexual harassment. Nevertheless, a more integrated approach the combines both preventive and responsive intervention is more effective when it comes to dealing with sexual harassment. Works cited Boland, Mary. Sexual harassment: your guide to legal action. Illinois: Sphinx Legal. 2002, pp 3- 7. Buchanan, Nicole & Fitzgerald, Louise. Effects of Racial and Sexual Harassment on Work and the Psychological Well-Being of African American Women. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2008, Vol. 13, No. 2, 137–151. Cortina, Lilia & Wasti, Arzu. Coping in Context: Sociocultural Determinants of Responses to Sexual Harassment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. American Psychological Association, 2002, Vol. 83, No. 2, 394–405. Dobbin, Frank & Kelly, Erin. How to stop harassment: Professional construction of legal compliance in organizations. American Journal of Sociology 2007,112, no. 4: 1203- 1243. De Coster, Stacy. Estes Sarah. & Mueller, Charles. Routine Activities and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Work and Occupations February 1999, vol. 26 no. 1 21-49 Fitzgerald, Louise & Shullman, Sandra Sexual harassment: A research analysis and agenda for the 1990s. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 1993 42,5–27. Fitzgerald, Louise et al. Antecedents and Consequences of Sexual Harassment in Organizations: A Test of an Integrated Model. Journal of Applied Psychology 1997, vol. 82. No. 4, 578- 589. Helge, Hoel, Fielden, Sandra, Davidson, Marilyn & Hunt, Carrie. Sexual harassment in the workplace: A literature review. Equal Opportunities Commission. Working Paper Series, 2007 No. 59. Lopez, Steven, Hodson, Randy & Roscigno, Vincent. Power, status and abuse at work: General and Sexual Harassment Compared. The Sociological Quarterly 50, 2009, 3–27. Marshall, Anna-Maria. Idle Rights: Employees' Rights Consciousness and the Construction of Sexual Harassment Policies. Law & Society Review, Vol. 39, No. 1 (2005), pp. 83-124 Rutherford, Sarah., Schneider, Robin and Walmsley, Alexis. Agreement on preventing and dealing effectively with sexual harassment: quantitative & qualitative research into sexual harassment in the armed forces. Ministry of Defense/Equal Opportunities Commission. 2006,Retrieved on April 23, 2011 from< http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/538E55EE-9CA4-4177-9A0B-6853A431B283/0/20060522SRReport.pdf> Read More