COMBATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE AND BUILDING INCLUSIVE HR SYSTEMS
Sexual harassment is defined as any form of unwelcomed verbal and/or physical behavior that is offensive and creates a hostile environment (Fitzgerald & Cortina, 2018). It is considered a moral and ethical violation of human rights and one of the major challenges that could be faced by women at work, resulting in long-term negative and detrimental effects such as psychological and physical distress, and professional losses (McLaughlin, Uggen, & Blackstone, 2017; Sojo, Wood, & Genat, 2016). Unfortunately, this is a horrifying reality for millions of women who are only seeking to be in a safe workplace free of any form of harassment. This reality was demonstrated by a study conducted in the MENA region where almost 40% of females in all of the countries polled reported being subjected to sexual harassment (Arab Barometer, 2019). What is worse is that some tolerate such toxic environments because they need their jobs to survive or have worked so hard to build their careers. Others are reluctant to speak up either because they feel they have limited ways of addressing the issue or fear being blamed with no actions taken. Despite the putative goal of reporting, it may not always result in remediation. According to a study conducted by the National Women’s Law Center (2020), the finding on retaliation was one of the most striking. More than seven in 10 people (72%) who experienced workplace sexual harassment faced some form of retaliation after reporting, the most common form being termination. Hence, reporting becomes a last resort, and these concerns are justified since women do not want to experience the debilitating loss of employment associated with personal, social, and economic benefits. However, if victims keep quiet, this can foster a climate of tolerance and contribute to the creation of work cultures that normalize such hostile behaviors.
The persistence of sexual harassment in the workplace is often less about sexual interest and rather indicative of the power disparity which serves as a factor in such behaviors (Siuta & Bergman, 2019). It reinforces gender stereotypes and hierarchical power structures over women in the workplace and is there to remind them of their inferiority. Men often occupy far more positions of power in most sectors, and even with the increase of women in STEM field, which are considered male-dominated, they are subject to prejudices and barriers that hinder their engagement and career progression. Even in female-dominated fields, men are more likely to hold higher level hierarchical positions. Research has shown that environments where men hold the majority of positions of power have the tendency to contribute to the frequency of sexual harassment (Lindquist & McKay, 2010; McLaughlin, Uggen, & Blackstone, 2012). Hence, sexual harassment against women may be more pronounced in such environments. One study comparing women working in a gender-balanced environments to those working with virtually all men found that those in the second group were more likely to encounter sexual harassment (Kabat-Farr & Cortina, 2014). With structurally gender unequal organizations, climates of tolerance, and a culture of silence, harassment will continue to thrive. Thus, jeopardizing women’s economic stability, access to opportunities, and career development, all which serves to preserve the status quo and power imbalance that drives sexual harassment in the first place. Therefore, organizations that promote and support gender equity play a vital role.
In order to create more inclusive human resource systems and bring change to patriarchal norms and unequal power dynamics, it is pivotal to address sexual harassment. From a business ethics perspective, when such hostile behaviors occur, this means the organization is not providing an environment for which employees can thrive and express their concerns. Instead, they are treating their employees poorly, which negatively impacts their well-being and job attitude, ultimately influencing the outcomes of organizations, including compromised work and economic loss due to higher turnover (Hersch, 2018). To better combat sexual harassment, solutions must be tailored and directed at transforming the structural and cultural forms of inequality in organizations coupled with proactive implementation of policies. This would require human resource (HR) managers to encourage more women into positions of leadership, cultivate work environments rich in respect that do not tolerate hostile behaviors, provide a confidential and sensitive mechanism for reporting, and deal with the complaint in a serious and timely manner with thorough investigation while holding perpetrators accountable regardless of their status. Additionally, HR managers should not only aim at establishing an anti-harassment policy for the sake of legal liability, as this is not enough on its own to deter and stop sexual harassment. Instead, they should emphasize the necessity of implementing this policy to promote inclusion as a fundamental value in their organization. It would not be just another rule to follow, but a building stone for achieving the organization’s goal.
Disclaimer: This blog is part of the CIBL Student Corner dedicated for inspiring students and allowing them to share their papers or thoughts on specific issues that are within the scope of our work in CIBL with the public. The opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author/student and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CIBL for Women, the Olayan S. Suliman School of Business, or the American University of Beirut.
