Debre Tabor University

Faculty of Business and Economics

Department of Business administration

Article review on TYPES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN WORK PLACE (STUDY ORGANIZATION)

From

ABERA DESSIE Id DTU 14m OO1

Submitted To- Dr. MANJU

MARCH , 2014 E.C

Debre Tabor, Ethiopia

CONTENTS
Table of contents
Introduction to the issue 1
1. Review
2. Analysis (simpl Frequncy, chart)
3. Result Findings and
4. Conculusion
5. Rference
6. Appendix

Introduction
The Beijing Platform for Action (PFA), which was adopted at the United Nations Fourth
World Conference on Women, in Beijing, in 1995, calls on governments, the international
community, and civil society to take strategic action in twelve critical areas of concern,
including the area of violence against women: specifically, the prevention of sexual
harassment in the workplace (McGolgan, 2004).
Harassment and sexual harassment are recognized as a form of discrimination on the grounds
of sex and, thus, are contrary to the principle of equal treatment between men and women
(Numhauser-Henning & Laulom, 2012). According to the U.S. Equal E m p l o y m e n t
Opportunity Commission (EEOC, 2011a), “Harassment” is defined as “unwelcome conduct
that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or
older), disability or genetic information. Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring
the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is
severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would
consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. An unwanted conduct related to the sex of a person
occurs with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person, and of creating an
intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive envir o n m e n t ” ( P a r a 2 ) .
W h i l e ,
“Sexual harassment” is defined as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” that interferes with one’s
employment or work performance or creates a “hostile or offensive work environment”
(EEOC, 2011b, Para 1-2). Another definition for sexual harassment is “where any form of
unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature occurs, with the purpose
o r e f f e c t o f v i o l a t i n g t h e d i g n i t y o f a p e r s on, in
particular when creating an intimidating,
hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment” (McGolgan, 2004).
Though the definition of sexual harassment is clear and many research work has been
performed, yet “in the absence of rigorous qualitative and longitudinal designs, the
dynamics of gender, power, and harassment remain poorly understood” (McLaughlin, Uggen,
and Blackstone (2012, p. 1). Furthermore, sexual harassment is not given any importance in
the Lebanese and most of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’ environments
(Gatten, 2012; Bajracharya and Sijapati, 2012); this creates a problem since the equality of
m e n a n d w o m e n a t w o r k i s a p r o m i n e n t i s s u e t o d a y ; a f a c t t h a t h as motivated the researcher
to study the current work environment in Lebanon as to how it deals with sexual harassment.
Several sectors and organization share the same common problem of “Sexual Harassment”,
especially in the night life industry or night clubs and restaurants, industries and several other
environments.
The expected results and findings shall be used to facilitate the evaluation process of sexual
harassment; consequently, indicators have to be developed in relation to women at work. As a
result, the designed questionnaire was targeted at national-level business organizations, banks
and night life industries for both employers and employees.

Introduction
The Beijing Platform for Action (PFA), which was adopted at the United Nations Fourth
World Conference on Women, in Beijing, in 1995, calls on governments, the international
community, and civil society to take strategic action in twelve critical areas of concern,
including the area of violence against women: specifically, the prevention of sexual
harassment in the workplace (McGolgan, 2004).
Harassment and sexual harassment are recognized as a form of discrimination on the grounds
of sex and, thus, are contrary to the principle of equal treatment between men and women
(Numhauser-Henning & Laulom, 2012). According to the U.S. Equal E m p l o y m e n t
Opportunity Commission (EEOC, 2011a), “Harassment” is defined as “unwelcome conduct
that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or
older), disability or genetic information. Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring
the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is
severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would
consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. An unwanted conduct related to the sex of a person
occurs with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person, and of creating an
intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive envir o n m e n t ” ( P a r a 2 ) .
W h i l e ,
“Sexual harassment” is defined as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” that interferes with one’s
employment or work performance or creates a “hostile or offensive work environment”
(EEOC, 2011b, Para 1-2). Another definition for sexual harassment is “where any form of
unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature occurs, with the purpose
o r e f f e c t o f v i o l a t i n g t h e d i g n i t y o f a p e r s on, in
particular when creating an intimidating,
hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment” (McGolgan, 2004).
Though the definition of sexual harassment is clear and many research work has been
performed, yet “in the absence of rigorous qualitative and longitudinal designs, the
dynamics of gender, power, and harassment remain poorly understood” (McLaughlin, Uggen,
and Blackstone (2012, p. 1). Furthermore, sexual harassment is not given any importance in
the Lebanese and most of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’ environments
(Gatten, 2012; Bajracharya and Sijapati, 2012); this creates a problem since the equality of
m e n a n d w o m e n a t w o r k i s a p r o m i n e n t i s s u e t o d a y ; a f a c t t h a t h as motivated the researcher
to study the current work environment in Lebanon as to how it deals with sexual harassment.
Several sectors and organization share the same common problem of “Sexual Harassment”,
especially in the night life industry or night clubs and restaurants, industries and several other
environments.
The expected results and findings shall be used to facilitate the evaluation process of sexual
harassment; consequently, indicators have to be developed in relation to women at work. As a
result, the designed questionnaire was targeted at national-level business organizations, banks
and night life industries for both employers and employees.

Introduction

Sexual harassment is a recurring problem around the globe. Different

nations have taken measures to deal with the consequences of such a
problem. Continuous development of policies is observed. Nations or
companies are dealing with the topic by either reacting or pro-acting to the
salient situations. Sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, but
unfortunately there are no public records of the cases. This paper explores
sexual harassment in the workplace within selected DebreTabore universty.
A questionnaire wound be developed and circulated to that purpose. The
organizations contacted comprised of DbreTabor university. The high
response rate (%) have enable a comprehensive and reliable information
resource to be created, hopefully to enable application in terms of on-the-
ground practice and levels of awareness and action in the stated Universty.
This information is considered particularly timely as it reflects the current
position of DbreTabore university have information about types of sexual
harassment in the work place.

Harassment and sexual harassment are recognized as a form of discrimination on the grounds

of sex and, thus, are contrary to the principle of equal treatment between men and women

“Harassment” is defined as “unwelcome conduct

that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or

older), disability or genetic information. Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring

the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is

severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would

consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. An unwanted conduct related to the sex of a person

occurs with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person, and of creating an

intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment” (Para 2). While,

“Sexual harassment” is defined as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,

and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” that interferes with one’s

employment or work performance or creates a “hostile or offensive work environment”

(EEOC, 2011b, Para 1-2). Another definition for sexual harassment is “where any form of

unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature occurs, with the purpose

or effect of violating the dignity of a person, in particular when creating an intimidating,

hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment” (McGolgan, 2004).

Though the definition of sexual harassment is clear and many research work has been

performed, yet “in the absence of rigorous qualitative and longitudinal designs, the
dynamics of gender, power, and harassment remain poorly understood” (McLaughlin, Uggen,

and Blackstone (2012, p. 1). Furthermore, sexual harassment is not given any importance in

the Lebanese and most of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’ environments

(Gatten, 2012; Bajracharya and Sijapati, 2012); this creates a problem since the equality of

men and women at work is a prominent issue today; a fact that has motivated the researcher

to study the current work environment in Lebanon as to how it deals with sexual harassment.

Several sectors and organization share the same common problem of “Sexual Harassment”,

especially in the night life industry or night clubs and restaurants, industries and several other

environments.

The expected results and findings shall be used to facilitate the evaluation process of sexual

harassment; consequently, indicators have to be developed in relation to women at work. As a

result, the designed questionnaire was targeted at Debre Tabore universties,

for both employers and employees.

2. Literature Review

Sexual harassment is a violation of the American Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; it

is against the workplace policy for any employee, male or female, to sexually harass other

employees by

• Making unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or

physical conduct of a sexual nature a condition of an employee's employment; or

• Making submission to or rejection of such conduct the basis for employment decisions

that affect the employee; or,

• Creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment by such a conduct

(USAjobs.g4s.com, 2012).

Thus, as a definition, sexual harassment is an unwelcome attention of a sexual nature that

makes a person feel uncomfortable. It includes a range of behaviors from mild transgressions

and annoyances to serious abuses, which can involve forced sexual activity. Sexual
harassment is considered as a form of illegal discrimination as well as a type of psychological

and sexual abuse (El Shimi, 2011; ILO, 2010, p. 7).

To be sexually harassed is to be the victim of any situation stated in the aforementioned

definitions. Each organization and/or each community has its own socio-cultural agenda

whereby the terms and conditions show what can be considered as sexual harassment. For

instance, in Debere Tabore university, any word or expression of a speech from an

opposite sex that is

aggressively said is not yet considered as sexual harassment (Shaheen, 2013, Para 22). The

sexually harassed can be anyone, male or female, whether a supervisor, a client, a co-worker

(EEOC, 2011b), teacher or professor, a student SAPAC (n.d.), a friend and even a stranger.
As for the harasser, he/she does not have to be of the opposite sex; he/she may be completely

unaware that his/her behavior is offensive or constitutes sexual harassment, or is perhaps

completely unaware that his/her actions could be unlawful. The sexual harassers choose their

victims based on characteristics such as, age, perceived passivity, lack of assertiveness, poor
education, low self-esteem and other areas of vulnerability (Sexual Harassment Prevention

Institute, 2012, Para 5).

For Britz, Elmarie (2007, November) as stated in The Perceptions of Employees Regarding

Sexual Harassment in an Administrative Higher Educational Work Environment. (Magister

Short Dissertation), Business Administration, Johannesburg, South Africa, sexual harassment

may take different forms. According to Britz (2007), several forms of sexual harassment exist,

namely:

• Verbal - Sexual innuendoes, suggestive comments, jokes of a sexual nature, sexual

propositions or sexual threats.

• Non-Verbal - Sexual suggestive objects or pictures, graphic commentaries, suggestive or

insulting sounds, leering, whistling or obscene gestures

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

by Susan Bonetto

Research has shown that sexual harassment frequently stems from a confusion of gender
roles with work roles. It is known, for example, that women in traditionally female or male
occupations experience more sexual harassment than women in gender-neutral occupations. In
its more virulent form, however, it often stems from a strongly felt need for power or dominance,
the wish to exercise control over others. Individuals with disproportionate power can begin to
view those on a lower hierarchical plane as less worthy and thus deserving of treatment at the
whim of the power holder. In addition, the sense of power can lead in some cases to sexual
arousal that, in turn, can prompt behavior inappropriate to the time and place. (Stockdale, 1996)
It is important to note that, while cases most frequently involve a woman harassed by a
male peer or supervisor, harassment by a woman of a man, by a subordinate of a
supervisor or by
a person of the same sex are scenarios that occur and must be viewed as equally serious.
Harassment perpetrated by a visiting consultant or by a collaborator on an employee is
also
possible and is an issue appropriately demanding management’s attention. Further, sexual
harassment can be a one-time occurrence of a serious nature or a behavioral pattern
experienced over an extended period.
To be clearly understood, sexual harassment is probably best defined in terms of specific
examples, all the more so in the context of cultural complexity. In my overseas travel and
work experiences, I have come to realize that sexual
harassment, though shown in different forms, crosses all cultures and nations. Inside
the US, the law requires that employees must be extremely careful about their work
behaviors and conversations so that they do not intentionally or unintentionally create
an intimidating or uncomfortable working environment for colleagues of the other (or
same) sex.
I believe that in ICLARM, whether in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malawi or Solomons,
we must behave in the same way.
There are generally two broad categories of sexual harassment. One is intentional
harassment, whereby one staff member, due to a perceived or actual position of power
or influence, creates an uncomfortable situation for another. Examples might be making
jokes at other’s expense, demanding or encouraging sexual activities or relationships.
A more benign seeming but equally concerning type of harassment is the unintentional
‘meant in fun’ behaviors such as sexual jokes, pictures or conversations amongst staff.
Examples might include pictures in the office of scantily clad or nude people, jokes
about one’s looks, sexual preferences or activities and other personal or private matters
being discussed or joked about openly.
It is correct to say that not everyone objects to these sorts of activities. But it is also
possible and likely that not everyone enjoys these things. And, the bottom line is they
HAVE NO PLACE in our WORKPLACE!
ICLARM believes in and supports a harassment-free workplace. While we encourage
fun in our work, we must be aware of the limits of what type of ‘fun’ is acceptable in the
workplace. Supervisors or others in positions of authority must refrain from inviting staff
out on what may be considered ‘dates’. If you consider this situation, a staff member
who is asked out by his/her supervisor may feel obliged to say ‘yes,’ feeling that their
work situation could be threatened if they fail to do as requested. All staff members
must refrain from sexual topics in their casual, at work discussions and jokes. We
should not discuss our own or other’s sexual activities nor make related jokes. And it is
important to note that these guidelines apply to all work related activities including work
lunches, parties and outings.
By the standards which I have outlined here, we are not ‘sexual harassment free’ at
ICLARM. It is possible (we prove it everyday) to enjoy a work environment in which we
visit, discuss and even joke about a number of topics which are unrelated to sex. With
this in mind I hope everyone will assist ICLARM in maintaining its workplace values by
acting in accordance with the beliefs described in this article.
From: NewSplash, ICLARM, August 1996

Sexual harassment is any

unwelcome sexual advance,
request for sexual favor and
other unwelcome verbal,
non-verbal or physical conduct
of a sexual nature which
unreasonably interferes with
work, is made a condition of
employment, or creates an
intimidating, hostile or
offensive environment.
The World Bank

An Overview on Workplace Harassment

Project WHEN (Workplace Harassment Ends Now) is working hard to stand behind our
mission of elevating awareness of workplace harassment and encouraging organizations
and individuals to start driving change. The undeniable truth is that harassment and bullying
can occur in any place of employment. 

Therefore, a huge piece of our organization’s work is researching all areas of workplace
harassment and the different factors that are impacting work cultures. Our goal for this
research is to get to the root of the issue and identify implementable solutions.

This page highlights our valuable findings that organizations in different industries can
leverage to instill respectful behaviors in the workplace. We are pleased to share the key
aspects of our exploration, as well as bring people closer to other research and resources
that offer important information on preventing and addressing workplace harassment.

Project WHEN’s project on Harassment in the Workplace

➤ The Definition of Harassment

Project WHEN defines workplace harassment as “unwanted conduct to include all areas of
workplace harassment, including sexual and physical harassment, quid pro quo
harassment, microaggression, bullying, ageism, job shaming, verbal threats, derogatory
comments, discriminating or exclusionary behavior, and other forms of offensive behaviors.”
➤ Examples & Types of Harassment at Work

 Sexual and physical harassment. Can range from leering at a part of your body,
jokes or other verbal remarks of a sexual nature, to unwanted touching or rape.
 Quid pro quo harassment. Sexual coercion; “Your career in the company would be
on the fast track if you weren’t so uptight. You need to join me at the annual sales
convention in Las Vegas.
 Microaggression. “You did a really nice job in your team’s presentation…for a
woman.”
 Bullying. “This report is full of errors. I could have asked my kid to do this report and
had less hassle in fixing your stupid mistakes.”
 Ageism. “OK Grandpa, get the lead out. I’d like to get this project wrapped up before
I’m a senior citizen.”
 Job shaming. “He’s only the janitor. His opinion doesn’t count.”
 Verbal threats. “I swear I’ll put my fist through this wall if I need to explain this to you
one more time.”
 Derogatory remarks. Comments exhibiting a lack of respect toward someone,
degrading remarks, or expressions of criticism, hostility, or disregard.
 Discriminating or exclusionary behavior. “I want Bill, Mike, Joe, and Brian to work
on this assignment.” Somehow, Ahmed, Vishnu, Mohammed, and Alejandro have yet
to be selected to participate on a special projects team.
➤ Intent Versus Perception
Project WHEN defines harassment as unwanted behavior of a nature that violates your
dignity, makes you feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated, and creates a hostile or
offensive work environment. It’s about how you perceive the behavior and/or how you feel,
rather than the intention of the harasser. The harasser may not intentionally be trying to
offend you. Or he/she may tell you they were only kidding. It doesn’t matter what he/she set
out to do, whether maliciously or innocently. It’s harassment if YOU perceive that it is

 Workforce opinions about how to treat other people are not manufactured completely
within an organization. Employees walking into a workplace do not leave their personal
experiences on the doorstep (even if they tried). 
 Employees’ personal attitudes can contribute to an already toxic work environment. 
 Similarly, the attitudes we experience within the workplace can, in fact, taint how we
interface with others in our personal lives.
➤ The WHEN Perspective on Workplace Harassment

Project WHEN (Workplace Harassment Ends Now) recommends taking a holistic approach
to eliminating workplace harassment. With a goal of addressing systemic harassment for all
employees, an all-encompassing methodology must be adopted.

 Activities associated with eliminating workplace harassment should not be focused

exclusively on women.
 The appropriate harassment reduction strategy can support a number of other key
areas of focus for the business: 
o Diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives

o Attracting, retaining and inspiring top talent

o Enhancing the employee experience and engagement

➤ The Impact of the Critical Influences in Creating Organizational Culture of Respect

Diane Stegmeier, founder of Project WHEN is also the CEO of Stegmeier Consulting
Group, a change consulting firm. As a global thought leader in change management and
workplace research, she recognized that one of the most important change initiatives that
organizations should be focusing on is creating respectful, harassment-free workplaces for
future generations. 
Deriving from her extensive research on resistance to workplace change and important
findings on the 15 Critical Influences™ compiled in her book, Innovations in Office Design:
The Critical Influence Approach to Effective Work Environments, Project WHEN offers the
concept of Organizational Culture of Respect which focuses on a number of factors that
influence behavior in the workplace. 

These factors are also known as Critical Influences™ and they can contribute to the
creation of a culture of respect in the organization’s work environment. If left unchecked, the
influence of these factors can negatively impact the corporate culture, and can establish a
toxic workplace where harassment can flourish. 

Ten Influences on Behavior in the Workplace

 Culture
 Leadership Behavior
 Image & Reputation
 Rewards & Consequences
 Organizational Structure
 Compensation
 Communication
 Core Values
 Accountability
  Physical & Virtual Workplace

Impact of Influences on a Culture of Respect

Influence Impact

The existing culture of the organization influences behaviors–good

and bad. When a toxic work culture exists, there are numerous
opportunities for harassment to occur. Culture is one of the most
difficult things for companies to change. When attempting to
Culture eradicate workplace harassment, many organizations will develop a
vision of exactly what the senior leadership (with employee
feedback) would like the culture to be. This is an excellent first step
to understand the current situation before trying to envision the
desired future culture of respect.

Leadership Employees look to the organization’s leaders for direction on how

Behavior they should behave in the workplace. When those in management
 positions bully subordinates, spew out microaggressions,
discriminate, or worse–sexually harass employees–it sends a signal
loud and clear that there is a lack of respect permeating the
corporate culture.

An organization’s culture is influenced by the public’s perception of

what it must be like for employees who work there. When companies
Image & receive bad publicity, such as for sexual harassment claims reported
Reputation by the local or national news, employees’ sense of pride is
negatively impacted, influencing whether or not a culture of respect
can exist.

What are the consequences of bad behavior in the organization?

Rewards &
“Super star” employees (example: the top sales representative who
Consequences
brings in millions of dollars of sales to the company) who bully those
in administrative support roles, may receive no consequences for
 this unwanted behavior. This results in a culture of disrespect.

Often, organizations with a large number of hierarchical levels are

more formal, with an increasing amount of power the higher the
Organizational
level. Corporate politics are often evident in the culture. These
Structure
organizations are more prone to incidents of harassment, thus
preventing a culture of respect.

Compensation can impact whether or not harassment occurs in a

workplace. Those in lower levels may struggle financially, and don’t
Compensation
report incidents of harassment for fear of losing their job. Those
individuals may be treated with less respect due to a toxic culture.

Communication is crucial to creating a culture of respect. Does the

Communication
organization articulate to the workforce that harassment will not be
tolerated? Are employees encouraged to report unwanted behaviors
 that make them uncomfortable? Actually telling employees that they
ARE respected is a powerful first step in working towards a culture of
respect.

Organizations often articulate in the corporate core values phrases

Core Values such as “employees are our biggest asset,” yet when harassment
goes unchecked, the corporate culture of one of distrust, not respect.

Culture is shaped in part by how employees (including those in

senior leadership positions) are held accountable for their actions.
When executives are not held accountable for harassment, it creates
Accountability a workplace culture that actually encourages poor behaviors by all
employees. One of the ways that a culture of respect can be
established is by ensuring the company’s Board of Directors holds
the C-suite accountable for harassment.
 Newer progressive office designs promote an open plan that signals
a sense of equality amongst all employees, whether front line staff or
senior leaders. This is the opposite of earlier workplace designs that
reserved the spacious private offices and high-end furniture for those
Physical & Virtual
at the top of the company. The way in which the workplace is
Workplace
designed can significantly contribute to a culture of respect. More
and more organizations are having employees work remotely, if their
jobs allow it. When rude or bullying behaviors take place in virtual
meetings, it can undermine a culture of respect.

➤ Ongoing research into the root causes and aftermath of harassment in the
workplace

Project WHEN is always looking for sponsors to help support new research studies. Service
providers in the area of employment law and respectful workplaces may consider partnering
with Project WHEN to sponsor the development of surveys, white papers, and research
studies.  As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, these types of activities allow us to continue to raise
awareness for these important issues.  We will also be adding to our research findings as
benchmarking data returns from organizations that have enrolled in WHEN’s organizational
certification program.

ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
This project proposal is a tool to begin to address the topic of sexual harassment in the
center with a
broad cross-section of staff. It is designed with several goals in mind.
1. The first goal is to provide a vehicle to discuss a difficult topic in a professional and
sensitive manner. By discussing the topic forthrightly, the center can reduce some of
the emotionalism associated with it.
2. The second goal is to create an instrument that will serve as a basis for additional
work on sexual harassment in the center. To this end, the training program includes
both problem identification and problem solving components.
3. The third goal is to provide an opportunity to learn how staff view different
communications and encounters with each other.
4. The fourth goal is to provide management with a way to learn about staff perceptions
of what is actually happening at the center from a sexual harassment perspective.

3. Conclusion
Due to the rising number of sexual harassment cases against employees, it is essential that
this issue is
investigated into thoroughly to attain a better understanding of its cause and effects. This
will assist movements, programs
and others who are working towards a solution. It would help reduce such activities,
making the workplace a safer place
where gender equality and the rights of all workers are respected and maintained.
5. References and resources
PRINT MATERIAL
Eskenazi, Martin & Gallen, David. (1992) Sexual Harassment: Know Your Rights.
New York: Carroll & Grant Publishers, Inc. Especially:
MacKinnon, Catherine. Sexual harassment: The Experience. (Chapter 2)
International Labour Office. (1992) Conditions of work digest. Geneva.
Leach, Joy. (1995) A Practical Guide to Working with Diversity: The Process,
The Tools, The Resources. New York: ACACOM.
Lindemann, Barbara. (1992) Primer on: Sexual Harassment. Washington, D.C.
Stockdale, Margaret S. (Ed.) (1996) Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Thousand
Oakes, California: Sage Publications, Inc. Especially:
Stockdale, Margaret. What We Know and What We Need to Know About Sexual
Harassment. (Chapter 1)
Grauerholz, Elizabeth. Sexual Harassment in the Academy: The Case of Women
Professors. (Chaper 2)
Hulin, Charles L., Fitzgerald, Louise F. & Drasgow, Fritz. Organizational
Influences on Sexual Harassment. (Chapter 7)
Thomas R. Roosevelt, Jr. (1991) Beyond Race and Gender: Unleashing the Power of
YourTotal Work Force by Managing Diversity. New York: ACACOM.
The World Bank (1994) Preventing and Stopping Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.
Washington, D.C
EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE

Table 2. Attitude towards Sexual Harassment Attitude Towards Sexual Harassment Male, %
Female, % Total, %Do you know of anyone in your immediate circle of friends who has been
sexually harassed? Ye s No 27 30 23 20 50 50 Have you ever quit work because of sexual
harassment? Ye s No 00 57 01 42 01 99 Have you asked to be transferred to another department
/ branch because of sexual harassment? Ye s No 04 53 00 43 04 96 If any incident of sexual
harassment occurs, who would you blame? The Harasser The Harassed Both the Harasser and
the Harassed None of them 28 05 19 05 25 04 14 00 53 09 33 05
Journal of Management Research
ISSN 1941-899X
2015, Vol. 7, No. 1
www.macrothink.org/jmr
109
2. Literature Review
Sexual harassment is a violation of the
American Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964; it
is against the workplace policy for any
employee, male or female, to sexually
harass other
employees by
• Making unwelcome sexual advances,
requests for sexual favors or other verbal
or
physical conduct of a sexual nature a
condition of an employee's employment; or
• Making submission to or rejection of
such conduct the basis for employment
decisions
that affect the employee; or,
• Creating an intimidating, hostile or
offensive working environment by such a
conduct
(USAjobs.g4s.com, 2012).
Thus, as a definition, sexual harassment is
an unwelcome attention of a sexual nature
that
makes a person feel uncomfortable. It
includes a range of behaviors from mild
transgressions
and annoyances to serious abuses, which
can involve forced sexual activity. Sexual
harassment is considered as a form of illegal
discrimination as well as a type of
psychological
and sexual abuse (El Shimi, 2011; ILO,
2010, p. 7).
To be sexually harassed is to be the
victim of any situation stated in the
aforementioned
definitions. Each organization and/or each
community has its own socio-cultural
agenda
whereby the terms and conditions show
what can be considered as sexual
harassment. For
instance, in Lebanon, any word or
expression of a speech from an opposite
sex that is
aggressively said is not yet considered as
sexual harassment (Shaheen, 2013, Para
22). The
sexually harassed can be anyone, male or
female, whether a supervisor, a client, a co-
worker
(EEOC, 2011b), teacher or professor, a
student SAPAC (n.d.), a friend and even a
stranger.
As for the harasser, he/she does not have to
be of the opposite sex; he/she may be
completely
unaware that his/her behavior is offensive
or constitutes sexual harassment, or is
perhaps
completely unaware that his/her actions
could be unlawful. The sexual harassers
choose their
victims based on characteristics such as, age,
perceived passivity, lack of assertiveness,
poor
education, low self-esteem and other areas
of vulnerability (Sexual Harassment
Prevention
Institute, 2012, Para 5).
For Britz, Elmarie (2007, November) as
stated in The Perceptions of Employees
Regarding
Short Dissertation), Business
Administration, Johannesburg, South Africa,
sexual harassment
may take different forms. According to Britz
(2007), several forms of sexual harassment
exist,
namely:
• Verbal - Sexual innuendoes,
suggestive comments, jokes of a sexual
nature, sexual
propositions or sexual threats.
• Non-Verbal - Sexual suggestive objects
or pictures, graphic commentaries,
suggestive or
insulting sounds, leering, whistling or
obscene gestures
Male, % Female, % Total, %
Do you know of anyone in your
immediate circle of
friends who has been sexually harassed?
Ye s
No
27
30
23
20
50
50
Have you ever quit work because of sexual
harassment?
Ye s
No
00
57
01
42
01
99
Have you asked to be transferred to another
department /
branch because of sexual harassment?
Ye s
No
04
53
00
43
04
96
If any incident of sexual harassment
occurs, who
would you blame?
The Harasser
The Harassed
Both the Harasser and the Harassed
None of them
28
05
19
05
25
04
14
00
53
09
33
05
Journal of Management Research
ISSN 1941-899X
2015, Vol. 7, No. 1
www.macrothink.org/jmr
116
Table 2 shows that 50% of the respondents
know somebody in their immediate circle
who has
been harassed. Only 1 female out of 3 who
had reported the incident quit her job, and 4
males
asked to be transferred to another
department / branch.
When respondents were asked who to be
blamed for the sexual harassment
incident if it
happens, 53% blamed the harasser, 9%
blamed the harassed, 33% blamed both the
harassed
and harasser, and 5% blamed no body.
However, when respondents were asked if
they are ready to prosec u t e t h e
Harasser in the
court of law if it happens to them, only
53% (26% males and 27% females) of
the
respondents stated that they are ready to
go to the court of law in case they are
sexually
harassed. This question shows that
respondents do not trust the Lebanese legal
system in this
respect, and also know that they will be
highly affected socially if the cases become
public.
However, the respondents who were ready
to go to court said that they want the
harasser to
be “punished”. Moreover, 84% (44% males
and 40% females) of the respondents agree
that
organizations should have policies to
prevent sexual harassment at work. The
same
percentage agreed that it is the
organizations’ obligation to implement
measures assuring the
creation of a sexual harassment free
environment. Finally, 73% (34% males and
39% females)
of the respondents are ready to get training
or education about the topic of sexual
harassment.
5. Conclusion and Implications
Sexual harassment is considered one of the
most important issues that might negatively
affect
an organizational environment;
consequently, this research has been carried
out in an attempt
to minimize, if not eradicate, this effect.
This paper explores sexual harassment in
the
workplace within selected Lebanese
organizations. Results show that 28% of the
respondents
have experienced/ have been exposed to
sexual harassment.
The harasser might be a male or female, and
it is not necessary to be from the opposite
sex. In
the United States, the Civil Rights Act of
1991 has given individuals, especially
employees,
the means to fight sexual harassment. It is
believed that once a taboo subject, in this
case
sexual harassment, is out in the open, fewer
victims would be willing to suffer in
silence. In
1994, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission received 14,420 sexual
harassment
claims, up from 5,623 cases in 1989.
Still, about 90% of the cases are never
reported.
According to a recent poll by the Society
for Human Resource Management, 63% of
the
companies surveyed view sexual harassment
as a real problem. Three-quarters of them
offer
training programs, and 97% have instituted
written policies on sexual harassment.
Yet, and according to the results that
have been obtained in this current
research, sexual
harassment is considered to be a hot zone
where the harassed still consider it a taboo.
This is
due to social environment, culture, norms,
and values.
There is only limited evidence of the
existence of Codes of Practice dealing with
the issue of
sexual harassment in Lebanon, especially
since the legislation upon which courts are
based
does not explicitly define sexual harassment.
There is also a very low level of apparent
coverage of the issue of sexual harassment /
Journal of Management Research
ISSN 1941-899X
2015, Vol. 7, No. 1
www.macrothink.org/jmr
117
harassment based on sex in the
aforementioned Codes of Practice to which
the responding
organizations were party, indicating perhaps,
that the specific issue of sexual harassment
has
not yet achieved a high level of priority
within the context of collective bargaining.
6. Recommendations
After asking several Lebanese lawyers
about sexual harassment, they all agreed
that the
various legal systems appear to adopt a
fairly broad approach to employer liability;
generally
where employers are legally liable for
sexual harassment/ harassment based on
evidenced
sexual acts like rape.
There is little consistency of practice across
the respondents in relation to - for
example - the
bodies to which complaints of work-
related sexual harassment may be brought,
the support
mechanisms available to complainants, or
the remedies for sexual harassment. Most
of the
respondents’ organizations does have
measures in place to protect sexual
harassment victims
from being victimized, and also provide
compensation to the victim.
The diversity of responses to questions
in relation to the issue of legal
complaints and
remedies is not surprising, as the systems
governing the enforcement of employment
rights
generally vary widely across the
participating organizations.
There is a general absence of specific
grievance procedures and sanctions for
sexual
harassment / harassment based on sex.
Where such procedures do exist they appear
to depend
on the nature of the harassment.
Preventing sexual harassment from
occurring is much less disruptive, much
less expensive,
and much less time consuming as
compared to the time spent by supervisors
investigating
and litigating case-by-case incidents,
doing their best to prevent sexual
harassment from
occurring. Therefore, prevention is the best
tool for the elimination of sexual
harassment.
That’s why the supervisor or the manager
needs to have some basic education in a
number of
employee-relations issues, including sexual
harassment. As with supervisors and
managers,
all others should also receive information
about sexual harassment. For employees,
as a
whole, the emphasis should be on
expectations for interpersonal behavior
rather than on legal
and management issues.
It might be more important for
employees to solve sexual harassment
problems in-house,
avoiding law suits if possible. Many
organizations have established anti-
harassment policies
and employee-education programs. The
Australian Human Rights Commission
(2008)
contends that effective harassment
prevention programs include:
• issuing a specific policy prohibiting
sexual harassment,
• developing a complaint procedure
employees can follow,
• creating a work atmosphere that
encourages sexually harassed staff to come
forward,
and
Journal of Management Research
ISSN 1941-899X
2015, Vol. 7, No. 1
www.macrothink.org/jmr
118
• investigating and resolving
complaints immediately, and taking
disciplinary actions
against harassers (pp. 22-23).
7. Limitations
The current research is considered one
component of a wider research that deals
with
assessment of the aggressive working
conditions dealing with violence against
women in
particular and against men and women in
general. The former would appear to be an
effective
approach that enables cross referencing
with other variables such as occupational
type and
sector. However, such an approach would
not necessarily be capable of filling some
of the
research gaps highlighted by the respondents
participating in the current research i.e.
results
of legal proceedings, psycho-social effects
of sexual harassment. Another feature of
the
research is that a number of the dedicated
research studies that have been undertaken
have
focused on the working conditions of
women or, as aforementioned, on the issue
of violence
against women and there may therefore be,
an under-representation in the research
literature
on the level and nature of male sexual
harassment.
There is only limited evidence that the
research that is being conducted is being
used to
influence policy / practice on the issue.
It is clear that significant research gaps
remain in relation to the incidence and
nature of
harassment, the profile of the harasser and
the victim, profile of the organization,
judicial
outcomes etc… This is the basic data
requirement necessary to describe the
issue and
facilitate inter country-comparisons.
However, there is also a requirement for
research in
other areas which would address such
issues as the impact of sexual harassment,
the link
between sexual harassment and sick leave /
absenteeism and the victim’s alienation from
the
labor market.
The results of this study have
implications for staff and managers in
organizations. The
relationship that has been proved to exist
between prevention, trust, management’s
support,
culture and a harassment free work
environment, indicates the importance of
such factors as
prerequisites of the success of creating
sexual harassment free institution.
The current paper serves as an eye
opener to researchers who are interested
in studying
sexual harassment in a Middle Eastern
country and at the same time study the
case where
government does not have a clear policy
or regulation about harassment in its
formal legal
system. Moreover, this paper emphasizes
the fact that universities and other
institutions of
higher education hold the responsibility to
create awareness of sexual harassment to
enable
their students to survive the existing hostile
and difficult market’s conditions, and at the
same
time, be ready to face hostile situations with
responsibility and ethical behavior. Finally,
this
paper contributes and adds value to the
literature, characterized as highly lacking,
of the
current Lebanese job-market.
8. Future Research
A variety of preventative initiatives
should be undertaken by both
governmental
organizations and the social partners.
However, the general lack of research on
sexual
Journal of Management Research
ISSN 1941-899X
2015, Vol. 7, No. 1
www.macrothink.org/jmr
119
harassment may imply that such preventative
measures are not always grounded in
research.
Basically, preventative initiatives are
related to awareness raising and training,
with several
references being made to brochures,
guidelines, articles, etc... Awareness raising
and training
initiatives are primarily focused on
employers, managers and trade union
officials. Specific
initiatives that also target employees are
only referenced in a limited number of
responses.
The roles and responsibilities of
employers, trade unions, managers and
employees with
respect to preventative initiatives should be
described further in specific terms.
Employers are
seen to have a role in awareness raising
and prevention and ensuring that the
working
environment is free of harassment; their
role in developing policy statements and
ensuring
that these are implemented at every level
is less evident. The Australian Human
Rights
Commission (2008) recommends that
although “The Sex Discrimination Act
does not
prescribe any particular type of
procedure, so employers have the
flexibility to design a
system that suits the organization’s size,
structure and resources” (p. 32).
Therefore, a
research should be undertaken to see what
rules are best to be implemented.
Acknowledgement
The author would like to acknowledge the
constructive criticism and editing
performed by
Mrs. Henriette Skaff, senior editor at
AUST‟s Publications Department.
References
Australian Human Rights Commission.
(2008). Effectively preventing and
responding to
ISSN 1941-899X
2015, Vol. 7, No. 1
www.macrothink.org/jmr
109
2.
Journal of Management Research
ISSN 1941-899X
2015, Vol. 7, No. 1
www.macrothink.org/jmr
108
1. Introduction
The Beijing Platform for Action (PFA),
which was adopted at the United Nations
Fourth
World Conference on Women, in Beijing,
in 1995, calls on governments, the
international
community, and civil society to take
strategic action in twelve critical areas of
concern,
including the area of violence against
women: specifically, the prevention of
sexual
harassment in the workplace (McGolgan,
2004).
Harassment and sexual harassment are
recognized as a form of discrimination on
the grounds
of sex and, thus, are contrary to the
principle of equal treatment between men
and women
(Numhauser-Henning & Laulom, 2012).
According to the U.S. Equal
E m p l o y m e n t
Opportunity Commission (EEOC, 2011a),
“Harassment” is defined as “unwelcome
conduct
that is based on race, color, religion, sex
(including pregnancy), national origin, age
(40 or
older), disability or genetic information.
Harassment becomes unlawful where 1)
enduring
the offensive conduct becomes a condition
of continued employment, or 2) the
conduct is
severe or pervasive enough to create a
work environment that a reasonable person
would
consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. An
unwanted conduct related to the sex of a
person
occurs with the purpose or effect of
violating the dignity of a person, and of
creating an
intimidating, hostile, degrading,
humiliating or offensive
envir o n m e n t ” ( P a r a 2 ) .
While,
“Sexual harassment” is defined as
“unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of
a sexual nature” that interferes with
one’s
employment or work performance or
creates a “hostile or offensive work
environment”
(EEOC, 2011b, Para 1-2). Another
definition for sexual harassment is “where
any form of
unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature occurs, with the
purpose
or effect of violating the
d i g n i t y o f a p e r s on, in particular
when creating an intimidating,
hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive
environment” (McGolgan, 2004).
Though the definition of sexual
harassment is clear and many research
work has been
performed, yet “in the absence of rigorous
qualitative and longitudinal designs, the
dynamics of gender, power, and harassment
remain poorly understood” (McLaughlin,
Uggen,
and Blackstone (2012, p. 1). Furthermore,
sexual harassment is not given any
importance in
the Lebanese and most of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’
environments
(Gatten, 2012; Bajracharya and Sijapati,
2012); this creates a problem since the
equality of
men and women at work is a prominent
issue today; a fact that has motivated the
researcher
to study the current work environment in
Lebanon as to how it deals with sexual
harassment.
Several sectors and organization share the
same common problem of “Sexual
Harassment”,
especially in the night life industry or night
clubs and restaurants, industries and several
other
environments.
The expected results and findings shall be
used to facilitate the evaluation process of
sexual
harassment; consequently, indicators have to
be developed in relation to women at work.
As a
result, the designed questionnaire was
targeted at national-level business
organizations, banks
and night life industries for both employers
and employees
Journal of Management Research
ISSN 1941-899X
2015, Vol. 7, No. 1
www.macrothink.org/jmr
108
1.
Because of subjectivity involved in the labeling of
sexual harassment,
we identified each form of harassment on the basis of
the specific behav-
ioral criteria noted above. However, we also
acknowledge that prevailing
normative standards or legal definitions can influence
what is experienced
as sexual harassment and thus, indirectly,
ethnographers’ reports of harass-
ment (Dellinger & Williams, 2002; Saguy, 2000;
Zippel, 2004). Although
we could not correct for instances in which
ethnographers witnessed behav-
iors that we would clredatory sexual harassment were also typically subject to taunting and