The Nature of Sexual Harassment - Essay Example

Disclosure and Sexual Harassment The film Disclosure is based on the interactions of two executives, Meredith and Tom. Meredith is promoted ahead of Tom, who she has a past sexual relationship with. During a late meeting one evening, Meredith tries to seduce Tom. Tom resists her attempt. Meredith then reacts and takes her revenge on Tom by claiming sexual harassment. This leads to the conflict of the film where the innocent Tom has to defend himself against the false claims. This storyline with sexual harassment at its base reveals a number of important issues about sexual harassment. Most notably, it reveals that sexual harassment is far more complex than most companies tend to assume, with it not simply a case where men assert their power by harassing women. In the wrong hands, sexual harassment becomes a powerful tool that women can use to their advantage. Overall, the film provides important insights into the nature of sexual haraasment including the forms it can take, how it is managed, and how it should be managed to protect innocent people who have been accused. These issues will now be looked at in detail by considering sexual harassment and what the film has to say about it. The Nature of Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment has been defined as including "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature" (Berlin 2002). The law then further divides sexual harassment into two types: quid pro quo and hostile work environment. Quid pro quo is defined as "situations where employment decisions such as hiring, firing, or promotions are contingent upon the employee providing sexual favors" (Berlin 2002). Hostile work environment is defined as "situations where the employee's work environment is made intimidating, hostile, or offensive due to the unwelcome sexual conduct and the conduct unreasonably interferes with the employee's work performance" (Berlin 2002). In the case in Disclosure, quid pro quo is the type of sexual harassment used. Meredith uses the situation to create an intimidating, hostile, and offensive work environment. Essentially, she uses the threat of claiming sexual harassment against Tom. Impact of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace The effects of sexual harassment can be divided into two levels. The first is the repercussions based on the law. The second is the repercussions for the organisation on a management level. The obvious effect of sexual harassment is a court case where the company, or an employee of that company is sued. In Disclosure, it is not the legal repercussions that are most important. Instead, it is the effect that just the threat of legal repercussions have. While the company does not know if Tom is guilty, they become wary of him based on the possibility that what Meredith is saying. This shows that the threat of claiming sexual harassment is a weapon that can be used regardless of whether actual sexual harassment occurs. In effect, the truth does not even matter, with the possibility that Tom is guilty having just as much impact whether or not he is. The second type of repercussions occur on the management level. The situation in Disclosure clearly shows the negative impacts the claim of sexual harassment has on the workplace. Sexual harassment causes individuals stress and in a situation where sexual harassment is ongoing, can cause a significant decline in the work environment. It also creates conflict based on the uncertainty associated with what is happening. Some people side with the accused, while others side with the accusor. The result is a divided workplace. This is not only concerning for those involved in the dispute, but can also be a problem for all employees. This is especially related to the way that management deal with the problem. In one way, employees want to feel like they will be protected from harassment. This means that management should deal with the harasser as quickly as possible. In another way, employees want to feel like they will be protected from false claims. This means that management should give the accused harasser the benefit of the doubt. This creates a situation where no decision that management makes is right for everyone. This explains why management often want to deal with harassment by eliminating the issue. This is seen in Disclosure by the way that management want to transfer Tom to another area. Finally, sexual harassment is a major stress issue. Job stress is defined as, "The physiological and emotional response to demands, constraints, and opportunities that create uncertainty and lack of personal control when important outcomes are at stake" (Daft 769). For a male in a workplace, there are few situations that create as much job stress as being accused of sexual harassment. It has been said that, "A key notion concerning stress is that people perceive the situation as taxing or as beyond their resources or control for responding appropriately" (Daft 769). In a situation that concerns an individual, that individual will react to the situation in some way. If an employee is concerned about a safety risk, they will speak to someone about the problem or do something about the problem. This does not lead to stress. However, when the individual feels powerless to do anything about it, stress results. A person also feels uncontrollability when other people force barriers on them that cannot be overcome. In the case of being accused of sexual harassment, the individual accused often feels like the situation is out of their control. This occurs because the event that has happened is between that individual and the accuser. If the person is innocent, like Tom is, there is little they can do to prove this. It is also made even more stressful because of the nature of the consequences. The accusation is not only risking Tom's career and reputation, but also his family. It is jeopardising everything that is important to him and all his relationships. This shows how significant an issue sexual harassment is for the people involved in the dispute. Typically, this is presented by showing a harassed individual being controlled by the person sexually harassing them. In this case, the tables are turned and Meredith has control by being the accuser. This shows how much power women can attain if they choose to use sexual harassment as a weapon. It seems like this is a warning that the makers of the movie want to send, showing men how they can be trapped by sexual harassment claims and warning women that they are playing with a man's entire life is they choose to accuse. The Causes of Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment has its basis in the people issues and the fact that the nature of work is changing. Women are now in the workplace and are, at least in theory, equal to men. This is a major change and sexual harassment is one of the results. In short, many men are not used to working with women and treating them equally. At the same time, women have new opportunities and the potential to be successful in the business world. This creates new pressures on women and can push them to using their sexuality as a tool. One book on the subject shows that sexual harassment is largely a product of a very confused business world, and in this confusion, people who cannot adapt become sexual harassers. This includes males who are trying to find their place in a changing workplace and women who are doing the same (Meyer, Oestreich, Berchtold & Collins, 1981). This explains Meredith's actions, since she becomes the sexual harasser as a means of gaining control. This suggests that the fact that sexual harassment is such an important issue means that women can use it as a tool against men. This is exactly what Meredith does. This suggests that the makers of the movie want to show women as calculating and willing to take advantage of men to assert their power. Considering that sexual harassment is a way that men prevent women from achieving power in the workplace, the movie itself can be seen as a way of removing the power that women have. By presenting women as using sexual harassment to their own advantage, the movie is hinting that sexual harassment may not occur as it is normally presented. This shows that sexual harassment is a complex issue that can be looked at from many angles. Sexual harassment is not something that should be looked at simply as a way that men try to abuse their power. Instead, the issue is a lot more complex than that. Firstly, sexual harassment is not always a tool of men. Secondly, sexual harassers are not always using it and aware that they are. In some cases it is used with full awareness. In other cases, it is unintentional. And in others, it is a defense mechanism to a situation that is changing. In short, sexual harassment is a product of the current changes in society and as such, is not something that can be blamed just on certain individuals. Managing Sexual Harassment Firstly it is important to recognise that it is up to the organisation to prevent sexual harassment from occurring. While individual employees may be responsible for the actions that form sexual harassment, the ultimate responsibility remains with the organisation. As Berlin (2002) explains, legally, "it is the employer's responsibility to maintain a workplace that is free from sexual harassment." This action includes both preventing sexual harassment and dealing with it effectively when it does occur. This approach can actually create problems because management have too strong a need to resolve the issue. As noted earlier, they do not react based on the truth of what has happened, but on the claim that is being made. This suggests that the makers of the film want to express another point about sexual harassment, which is that the organisation also has a duty to protect all employees from false claims. The first step in managing sexual harassment is often based on developing and implementing a policy on sexual harsassment. As Berlin (2002) says, "Employers should establish a policy for the prevention, reporting, investigation, and punishment of sexual harassment in the workplace." However, it is also noted that most policies are based on a need to protect the accused moreso than the accuser (Robbins, Bergman and Stagg). While policies do include how the accusations will be investigated, they tend to be developed based on the assumption that the harassment is occurring. Policies certainly do not typically include a process for determining if the accusor is making it up. Managing sexual harassment is also about changing human behaviour. Grossman (2002) says that there is evidence that training is effective, with the evidence suggesting that individuals can change their perceptions of sexual harassment after being trained. Grossman (2002) also says that "these programs may not only teach them about harassment, but also cause them to pay more attention to the problem and thus make better assessments of when it is occurring. A harasser might even realise, through training, that behaviour he has taken for granted as innocuous is in fact illegal, and change his ways." The film Disclosure adds another complication to this issue. For a person seeking a means of power, learning about sexual harassment may actually mean that they are learning about a tool they can use for their own benefit. Kramar, McGraw, and Schuler (2001) note that training is not enough because everyone is different. Some people simply will not change their veiws on issues of gender. They will continue to see their gender as a means of gaining power. Kramar, McGraw, and Schuler (2001) warn that this is why policies are important, since they define correct behaviour instead of allowing employees to define it for themselves. Discipline is the major means of controlling behaviour. However, discipline in the workplace does not typically extend to those who are falsely accusing others. This suggests that Meredith's behaviour is at least partially caused by the fact that the organisaton not having a strong policy defining her behaviour. Her character is that of someone who is willing to use anything to gain power over others including her sexuality. This is not something that she can be trained out of. The solution then would be for the company to have a method where the accused is considered as much as the accuser. It seems that this is the message that the filmmakers want to send. While sexual harassment policies are normally developed with the intent of protecting innocent victims of harassment, they want to show that innocent people accused of harassment require just as much protection. Conclusion In considering the film overall, it can be said that the filmmakers take a complex issue that is normally viewed in one way and turn it on its head. A woman becomes the harasser, using sexuality to gain control and use her power against otheres. An innocent man becomes the victim due to her accusation. It is the innocent accused man who appears to have more to lose in the situation than a person who has been a victim of sexual harassment. In the end, this is a warning about the complexity of the issue. It is also an approach that questions the normal way that sexual harassment is perceived as happening. It also shows how women can use the issue against males. At the same time, it offers a realistic view of the normal way that accusations are dealth with in organisations, includng how management respond and how other employees respond. The final result is that sexual harassment is revealed as the complex issue that it really is, where both men and women play their parts, and where there is more than one angle the topic needs to be vieiwed from. References Berlin, R. (2002) Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Defined [online]. AllLaw. Available from: [December 5, 2005] Daft, R.L. (1997) Management. Fort Worth, TX: The Dryden Press. Disclosure. (1994). Dir. Barry Levinson. Warner Bros. Grossman, R.J. (2001) It's not easy being green: Sexual harassment of women in the United States Army." HR Magazine, Sep 2001: p. 71-72. Kramar, R., McGraw, P, and Schuler, R.S. (2001) Human resource management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Meyer, M.C., Oestreich, J.L., Berchtold, I.M., and Collins, F.J. (1981) Sexual Harassment. New York: Petrocelli Books. Robbins, S.P., Bergman, R., and Stagg, I. (1997) Management. SNew York: Prentice Hall. Read More