Managing Conflict & Sexual Harassment

As increasing numbers of women have entered the work place during recent decades, a relatively new phenomenon, sexual harassment, has become more commonplace. Sexual harassment is now a common occurrence in business as women and men seek to together in an environment that does not cross lines of propriety. Responding to sexual harassment requires successful conflict negotiation techniques as well as an organization-wide commitment to ridding the workplace of such harassment. This type of harassment is not limited to the United States, and as the workforce in general has become more global, the issue of recognizing and handling sexual harassment has become more difficult as cultural expectations and differences come into play. The result is a confusing and sometimes contradictory work place where employees and employers try to find ways to eliminate sexual harassment while building a team atmosphere where diversity is recognized and cultivated. This research examines the issue of sexual harassment, ways in which conflict management can be used to approach the problem, and considers a situation in a Hong Kong university where sexual harassment took place.

Harassment may consist of telling dirty jokes, having managers comment on their personal appearance, or the more straightforward threat of having an intimate relationship with the boss or losing a job--or some other de

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ly define sexual harassment and detail the disciplinary and procedural action that will be taken in cases of sexual harassment. Those individuals who will be involved in investigating and mediating sexual harassment issues should receive special training in this area, and be prepared to handle both parties with respect and courtesy. Both parties in sexual harassment conflicts may well need counseling. The victim needs counseling on both an emotional and a procedural level in order to be made aware of the rights involved and to assist in returning to being a highly productive employee. The harasser may require counseling either to bring about a change in behavior (if the employee is not dismissed), or to improve communication skills to prevent the same situation from arising in the future (Russell, 2002). CHANGES IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES An increasing number of harassment complaints are harassment of men by female supervisors; however, there are also cases of homosexual harassment, and same-gender hostile environment harassment, which is defined as when a worker creates a hostile environment for other workers of the same gender by bragging about sexual activities or using offensive language even after a complaint is made (G
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Approximate Word count = 2789
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)

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