Workplace sexual harassment -- a study

HuffPost's Emily Peck reports on a major study of sexual harassment within organizations by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

They found that just blaming -- and getting rid of -- the individual perpetrators is not enough.   A more comprehensive way of looking at it has little to do with the individual act.   It's more a matter of the culture of the organization that makes the difference.

1.  A Culture of Harassment:  The study found the the strongest predictor of sexual harassment is what the researchers call "organization climate."   If employees believe that the organization takes harassment seriously, then it is less likely to happen.   Faith that complaints will be heard and taken seriously "acts as a deterrent against bad actors and encourages workers to speak up about harassment -- key to keeping bad behavior at bay."

Lilia Cortina, a University of Michigan professor of psychology and women's studies, one of the 21 researchers who authored the study, said that the belief that a company will fairly handle harassment even trickles down to would-be perpetrators, who become less likely to actually harass anyone if they understand there are real consequences.

The study consisted of a group of experts reviewing research published over the last 20 years in peer-reviewed journals, as well as a survey of women who answered questions about their experiences.   In addition, they conducted an analysis of student and faculty survey data from two large state university systems.

A key conclusion:   If you dig to the bottom of any of the recent news reports on men who've been accused of sexual misconduct, you'll typically find a twisted corporate culture.    An example was NBC News where Matt Lauer was fired for misconduct last year.   There was a climate of flirtation with sexual overtones that was tolerated;  women were afraid to report misbehavior because they knew it would not be acted upon, and they feared retaliation and didn't think their complaints would be kept confidential.

This, according to Peck, is what is meant by organizational climate.  Intentionally or not, NBC employees got the message that the company, which is mostly run by men, didn't want to hear about their problems with Lauer, a network star.   Remember Donald Trump's now-famous line from the Hollywood Access tape:  "When you're a star, they let you do it."

2.  Men Outnumber Women:  If an organizational culture of harassment is the first predictor, the second most important predictive factor is an organization in which Men Outnumber Women -- particularly at the top of the organizational chart.    At Nike, for example, women were reportedly routinely mistreated, demeaned, and under-valued.  There were corporate outings to strip clubs, bosses who groped subordinates and entire departments where weren't welcome, according to the New York Times.   Finally, a group of women together talked with the CEO, which sparked a cultural upheaval at the company.

The National Academies study has recommendations for companies to root out harassment.    The first step is to provide not just a statement that harassment is not tolerated;  there should be detailed and clear examples of what behavior is not acceptable.   Facebook offers a list of unacceptable behaviors, including insensitve jokes, sluts, unwelcome advances, leering and more.

And companies should explain what the consequences are.   The researcher Cortina explained that just saying the company has a zero-tolerance policy can be counter-productive, because "victims will be reluctant to come forward, fearing they will cause someone to be fired."

It is recommended that businesses should dispense with the secrecy and let employees know what sorts of actions have been taken.   Settling cases in secret, or shrouded in non-disclosure agreements, leaves everyone in the dark.

Finally, they recommend surveying employees anonymously to find out the scope of any harassment problem.

This research report is an important positive step.   We've all been immersed in the harassment scandals, news scoops, and public shaming.   This goes at the problem in a different way.

Ralph