Posted on April 16, 2007 10:19 AM by
Shanti Atkins
Power and sex in the workplace are sometimes black and white. That’s especially true when a romantic relationship is directly associated with a termination or pay cut — or on the flip side, with a promotion and pay raise. Take today’s news scandal about World Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz. Wolfowitz is in hot water because of his involvement in a huge pay raise and promotion for his girlfriend, Shaha Riza.
The World Bank scandal is just starting to build, and people are calling for Wolfowitz’s resignation. The Bank’s Board is meeting to discuss the matter, which has ignited antagonism over Wolfowitz’s appointment by the U.S. administration, as well as resentment over his role in the U.S. invasion of Iraq while he was deputy defense secretary.
But workplace harassment usually involves much more subtle issues — and is almost always about perception.
Do men and women really view the world of work and sexual harassment differently? It’s certainly not uncommon to hear an alleged male harasser say something like “The whole situation has been blown way out of proportion” or “I never meant to harass anyone — it was just an innocent comment — she’s just taking it out of context.” The female employee on the other hand often has a different take on the situation.
So who’s telling the truth?
An article recently published by Science Daily supports the notion that men and women have very different opinions about sexual harassment. For both sexes, power seems to be a critical component, but men and women differ about who has the power to engage in sexual harassment.
Granted, Debbie Dougherty (University of Missouri-Columbia) did a very small study about perceptions of workplace harassment, but the results are still interesting. Dougherty never mentioned the word “power” to participants when she asked them to discuss their views on harassment — but both men and women associated sexual harassment directly to power. And they did it in very different ways:
- For women, power and sexual harassment are complex and not linked directly to formal authority. Anyone at any level of the organization who is “perceived as having power” can be a harasser.
- Men see sexual harassment more narrowly. Harassers tend to be those with formal authority, such as supervisors and managers. When sexual harassment happens between coworkers it’s more likely to be a “simple misunderstanding.”
- Although no details were released, Dougherty also states that men and women have different views about the types of actions that are considered sexually offensive.
It’s not hard to make the next logical leap (as Dougherty does). If men and women view sexual harassment, as well as those who yield the power to engage in it, in fundamentally different ways, there is bound to be confusion in the workplace. And where there’s confusion, you’ll find ongoing, systemic sexual harassment. Men may be more likely to say something sexually offensive to a female (especially if they don’t have formal authority), and females are more likely to view it as sexual harassment.
Not surprisingly, Dougherty says that her data underscores the importance of sexual harassment training.
I couldn’t agree with her more on that point — but I would take it one step further. Training ALL employees is a must in today’s business environment. Not only does harassment training help ensure that employees understand the rules, it also ensures that they are informed about the consequences if they cross the line. And if you’re sued, mounting a defense has become very difficult if you’ve not trained your employees.
Most employers today have taken note. Training is no longer a luxury that occurs when the budget is flush — it’s a business essential. A recent poll (of 1500 HR Professionals) conducted by ELT revealed that 50% of employers are now providing harassment training to all employees, not just supervisors.
If Dougherty’s research holds true, just offering harassment training that is rooted in legal compliance may not be good enough for your employees. Rather, your training message must be one of respect and inclusion, and should help employees bridge the power gap. Make sure that the training sends the message that prohibited harassment, regardless of the form:
- Can occur between coworkers;
- Can occur between employees and non-employees;
- Is not dependent upon formal authority structures; and
- Goes way beyond what is considered illegal.
If your training is sophisticated enough, it will help guide your employees through this maze of interpersonal workplace relationships, send a clear message about what constitutes prohibited harassment, and help employees better understand the true impact of their conduct on others.
Training should also address sexual favoritism, and the impact that a consensual sexual relationship between and supervisor and subordinate can have on other employees. We’ll have to see how that issue plays out in the Wolfowitz situation, not to mention the ethical implications of his alleged behavior.