Analyzing Sexual Harassment Culture at Dubois Industries: A Report

This report, prepared by Young Consultancy for Dubois Industries, addresses serious allegations of sexual harassment within the company. The report outlines the problem, stemming from rumors of widespread misconduct and a board member's resignation over inaction. The research aims to identify the nature and causes of a culture of sexual harassment, proposing a policy framework to prevent future incidents. It explores research questions focusing on the occurrence and prevention of sexual harassment, along with objectives to identify causes and develop preventive policies. The report reviews literature, noting statistics from the Australian Human Rights Commission and defining various forms of sexual harassment. It details the research methods, including interviews and secondary data analysis, emphasizing a triangulated approach for comprehensive evaluation. The report highlights ethical considerations, data analysis strategies, and a timetable for the research, culminating in recommendations to address and prevent sexual harassment at Dubois Industries.

Sexual Misconduct at Workplace

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Contents
Introduction:..........................................................................................................................................2
Research Statement Problem:................................................................................................................3
Research Questions:..............................................................................................................................4
Research Objectives:.............................................................................................................................4
Expected Outcomes:..............................................................................................................................5
A critical review of the Literature:.........................................................................................................5
Research Methods:..............................................................................................................................10
Ethical Implication:.............................................................................................................................12
Data Analysis:.....................................................................................................................................12
Timetable:............................................................................................................................................13
Recommendations:..............................................................................................................................14
References...........................................................................................................................................15
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Introduction:
Serious allegation has been made against one of the senior managers of Dubois Industries and
the company has paid a huge amount of compensation to the victim. There are rumors going
around the company that the sexual harassment case like this is nothing new, and it has been
taking place for a long period of time. Also, these kinds of sexual misconducts are covered up
by the company. One of the Board members has resigned showing her concern over the
incidents, stating that the board has knowledge of such incidents and nothing has been done
to cure and stop it on time. The case and the company’s name for all wrong purposes have
been in the news in the past few weeks. The board of the company now wants to conduct a
research on the culture of sexual harassments in the company and to develop a policy
framework to stop it. Dubois Company has assigned this task to their management
consultancy firm Young Consultancy. It is the objective of the Young Consultancy to find the
nature and cause of the existence of a culture of sexual harassment in Dubois Company and
to develop a policy framework including recommendations, to prevent such kind of
misconduct (Catalyst, 2018).
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Research Statement Problem:
In the assigned project, Young Consultancy proposes to conduct a research on the working
culture and work staff of the Dubois Industries. Also, the Consultancy proposes to examine
factors like nature and causes of sexual misconduct at Dubois Industries. The Consultancy
will employ a quantitative approach to gather data and information with the objective of
identifying the reasons which cause sexual harassments and the development of a policy to
prevent it.
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Research Questions:
The two main questions which will be analyzed and answered by the Young Consultancy for
the Dubois Industries are: Firstly, why and how an incident of sexual harassment occurred or
happened at Dubois Industries. Secondly, how it can be prevented or how to put an end to a
culture and atmosphere of sexual harassment or misconduct at the Dubois Industries (ABS,
2017).
Research Objectives:
The objectives of the research are the identification of the nature and causes for the existence
of sexual harassments or misconduct of Dubois Industries and development of a policy to
prevent sexual harassment at the workplace in Dubois Industries at any level.
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Expected Outcomes:
Through this research, an analysis will be done on the root cause problem of the existence of
sexual harassment or misconduct in the Dubois Industries. In this research a study will also
be conducted on the various aspects of human behavior and how do they interact with each
other each other at the workplace. On the basis of this, the nature and causes of sexual
harassments can be identified and measures can be developed to stop it. This research paper
synthesizes the strategies identified in literature in addressing harassment or misconduct of a
sexual nature in the workplace in Dubois Industries (Holland, Rabelo, Gustafson, Seabrook,
& Cortina, 2016).
A critical review of the Literature:
It has been found out that in the year 2014-2015, around 19% complaints made to the
Australian Human Rights Commission were filed under the Sex Discrimination Act, and out
of which 77% complaints were about sexual harassment at the workplace. Since sexual
harassment charges have been made against many people in the Dubois Industries, it is very
important to examine the nature of sexual harassment, which means that at the workplace,
how is the sexual harassment manifests. In other words, who was the victim, who was the
accused or culprit and the feature of workplaces where it happened. In the research, it has
been found out that woman are the major victims of sexual harassment, but evidence has
emerged which suggests that men are also becoming victims of sexual harassment at the
workplace (Jenkins, 2017). Sexual harassments can be in physical or non-physical form. Like
in the case of Dubois Industries, it has been found out that many workers were sexually
harassed by their subordinates or seniors, by touching inappropriately, grabbing,
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unwelcoming kissing, attempted rape or assault, passing lewd comment or remarks,
inappropriate leering or staring, sexually explicit MMS or messages, pressure for sex or
sexual acts etc.
Sexual harassment at the workplace can happen for a number of reasons, but there is no
specific reason attached to it. It can happen with any employee or person, at any point of time
and anywhere. Sexual harassments are illegal in nature and there are serious punishments for
this assigned by the law and the company (McDonald, Charlesworth, & Graham, 2015). It
can be in the form of suspension, termination, written apology, community service, criminal
fine, imprisonment etc.
In case of men, the sexual harassment is not widely studied in general, as it is done against
women. It is due to the fact, that many men are reluctant to report any kind of sexual abuse at
the workplace, due to fear of losing the job or social status or unmanly behavior. Anyone,
including men, can be a victim at the workplace. Same-sex harassment is as common as
opposite-sex harassment. Also, there can be incidents when an employee is not aware or
unable to identify that he/she is sexually abused, and such incidents go unreported (Irvine,
2018). Many times, respondents are unable to understand or perceive non-physical
harassment behaviors, like, suggestive comments or intrusive questions, unwelcoming
hugging or cornering etc.
Sexual harassment is done at times by superiors to disempowered, intimidate or discourage
their subordinates or juniors. In male dominating industry, like military and politics, usually,
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men perform such kind of inappropriate behavior in order to safeguard their occupational
territory. Such kind of acts mostly goes unreported or unchecked, as it involves a senior
official of the company, as it happens in Dubois Industries. In a work culture, which ignores
such incidents and behaviors, employees work in fear of being fired, if they report about the
sexual harassments. At senior management, there is the incidence of sexual harassments or
abuse, which goes unrecognized or unreported due to misuse of power and control. In such
situations, the victims remain silent and share the incidents with friends and family. Since the
research conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2003, there have not
been any major changes in such incidence (Connley, 2017).
Harassment can be done by male or female and the victim can be male as well as a female
employee at the workplace. It is required in the workplace, to change their tolerance level,
where employees can speak up about sexual harassment, rather just being a witnessed or
victim. Such incidents at Dubois Industries must be regarded as a serious health and safety
hazard and proper measures should be taken. There is the absence of any kind of helpline for
the reporting of such incidents in the company. The company has denied any kind of
accusation since the beginning, but it is the responsibility of the employer and the HR
department to stop such kind of violence and predatory behavior before it commences. Also,
in the company, there is no risk identification approach where any focus is done on sexism
and gender inequality, which are mostly the cause of sexual harassments. The company
should adopt an educational training and program on sexual harassment and issues like
misuse of power, sexism, and misogyny etc. The victims of sexual harassment have a
significant impact on their life, both personally and professionally (Alcorn, 2017).
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In a survey, it was found out that out of five employees, only one employee complained about
the sexual harassment at the workplace. Most of the complaints made was internal, to their
employer or manager, and no external complaints were made to legal service or human rights
commission. Most times, a complaint made to the external agency is due to the fact, that
employers or HR department is unable to resolve the case or take any actions. In most of the
cases, Dubois Industries employers and board committee refused to document any such
incident (Lucke, 2016).
To measure the extent of sexual harassment in the general population of Australia in the year
2003, National Telephone Survey was conducted. Based on it 2008 National telephone
Survey was done. Based on these surveys and the Dubois Industries survey, it has been found
out that most of the time, it is the witnessed, who report the sexual harassment incident to the
concerned department. Work colleagues play a crucial role in supporting the victim at the
workplace. There is no proper avenue for reporting the sexual harassment at the Dubois
Industries. Due TO increase in the number of sexual harassment cases in the Dubois
Industries, there is a creation of a negative culture and environment in the company, which
can have a detrimental effect. The company has adopted a culture where it is tolerance
towards the sexual harassment of the employees and this is not good for the company’s
operations. The company management must take preventive measures and training so that
every employee should be involved in the knowledge of the nature and types of sexual
harassment at the workplace. The managers must train their employees about the sexual
harassment and what kind of legal implications are involved in it. In the case of Dubois
Industries, it has to be found out that what kind of actions and preventive measure are taken
by the management in case of sexual harassment (Charlesworth, 2017).
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Research Methods:
The research includes interviewing employees who are the victims of any kind of sexual
misconduct or harassment at the Dubois Industries or have witnessed any kind of sexual
harassment at the workplace. Also, employers, including the Board of Directors will be
interviewed about the work culture and policy of the company against such incidents and
steps taken by them to date to prevent it. Other than this, secondary data will be used to
gather data and information regarding the sexual harassments, including the statistics of
sexual harassments at the workplace, the policies of the Government etc. Though the primary
method is relevant in this case, there are chances that sometimes, due to a personal vendetta,
an employee or a senior can give wrong feedback to a person. It can lead to the false image of
that person or he/she can be seen as a harasser by the company and employees. In order to
prevent such scenarios, it is better to use secondary data as well to support this research and
developing a framework for the company (Cates & Machin, 2012).
The interview will include those employees who experience any kind of sexual assaults,
sexual harassment, gender discrimination or sexual advancement by any other employee or
senior. In-depth qualitative data will be used so that a realist, constructional and
phenomenologist approach can be used for the issue. Also looking at the social trends and
policy implications, primarily quantitative analysis can be done. Interviews will be conducted
so that one to one conversation can be done and feedback can be generated. Based on these
feedbacks, secondary data can be used, such as Government policy, various acts etc. The
reason for collecting data in such triangulate method is to evaluate and analyze the question
and research topic as deep as possible and it can give a clear image of the entire scenario at
the Dubois Industries. This will help in backing up of one set of findings from another
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method of data collection. For example, a questionnaire can be given to a certain set of
people for the collection of statistical data related to sexual harassment and then this can be
supported by a more in-depth interview of the people who were harassed or accused someone
of trying to attempt such acts (Morral & Gore, 2014).
In case of interviews, the sample will be identified, a series of questions will be set, it can be
tapped or noted down, transcribes, thematically the results will be identified and finding will
be related with other research methods. In case of the questionnaire, identification of research
questions, formulation of appropriate questions, questions should not be leading and
confusing, it should be coded for further analysis, and statistically analyze it.
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Ethical Implication:
While conducting the research (interview and questionnaire) permission from the people will
be obtained before involving them. Simple questions will be formed and asked and it will not
be done to cause any kind of harm to the employees at personal and professional level. Due
considerations will be placed on the subjectivity vs objectivity in the research method. Proper
approval will be taken from the Dubois Industries ethical review committee before
commencing an interview and analysis of the work culture and employees so that no rules are
broken (Mujtaba, 2013).
Data Analysis:
The research question will be analyzed by using the quantitative and qualitative data and
information. The analysis will include a questionnaire, interviews, personal observations and
secondary analysis. Based on the analysis, corrective measures and framework will be
developed. This will help in reaching the root cause problem of the Dubois Industries. The
research questions, identification of the nature and causes of the existence of sexual
harassment in the Dubois Industries and how to develop measures to prevent such
harassments should be developed (Charlesworth, 2017).
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Timetable:
The timetable will list the key milestones for the research and when they will be achieved.
You may include additional information in your appendices such as budget, equipment and
staffing requirement for the research
The project will start in the first week of the next month and will take approximately take a
month to present the proposal to the Management. It will include stages of piloting, main
research, screening interviews, questionnaire, main study, etc. The objectives of the research
are the identification of the nature and causes for the existence of sexual harassments or
misconduct at Dubois Industries and development of a policy to prevent sexual harassment at
the workplace in Dubois Industries at any level (Salman, Abdullah, & Saleem, 2016).
A team of 10-15 members will be required for this project, as it involves many stages of
analysis, like the formation of questions for personal interviews, the formation of the
questionnaire, personal observation of the workplace and its employees and senior
management personnel, finding a solution to the problem and analysis, etc. On a regular
basis, the team members will report to the team head, who will report to the CEO.
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Recommendations:
Young Consultancy should proceed with submitting the tender to Dubois Industries to
undertake the research. The framework offers a research-informed set of organization-wide
measures which are remedial and preventive in nature. In this study, deep analysis of the
entire organization will be conducted which will highlight the important areas for further
research, where strong focus can be made on developing corrective actions for reducing or
eliminating sexual harassments from the workplace at the Dubois Industries. This research
will be based on the data and information gathered by primary study, which will be backed
up by the secondary study (Lucke, 2016). With the help of qualitative and quantitative
research, Young Consultancy can design a robust framework for the Dubois Industries. For
this, two teams with 5 members each should be formed for conducting research on the Dubois
Industries work for culture and staff. Young Consultancy can offer a quantitative or a
qualitative approach to the Dubois Industries or a mix of both approaches. Also, it will be
required that no interference is caused by the employers or any board member of the Dubois
Industries, while conducting the research.
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References
ABS. (2017). Experience of sexual harassment. Retrieved from www.abs.gov.au:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4906.0~2016~Main
%20Features~Experience%20of%20Sexual%20Harassment~29
Alcorn, G. (2017, October 17). 'Perverse outcomes': How Australia is failing sexual
harassment victims . Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/18/kate-jenkins-on-how-australia-is-
failing-sexual-harassment-victims
Catalyst. (2018, January 23). Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment. Retrieved from
http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/sex-discrimination-and-sexual-harassment-0
Cates, S., & Machin, L. (2012, February). The State of Sexual Harassment in America: What
is the Status of Sexual Harassment in the US Workplace Today? The Journal of
Global Business Management, 8(1), 133-137. Retrieved from
http://www.jgbm.org/page/18%20Steven%20Cates.pdf
Charlesworth, S. (2017, November 29). Sexual harassment in the Australian workplace: How
to spot it and what to do. Retrieved from
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-29/don-burke-sexual-harssment-tip-of-the-
iceberg-women-workplace/9205092
Connley, C. (2017, November 20). 3 psychologists explain why men harass women in the
workplace. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/20/3-psychologists-
explain-why-men-harass-women-in-the-workplace.html
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Holland, K., Rabelo, V., Gustafson, A., Seabrook, R., & Cortina, L. (2016). Sexual
harassment against men: Examining the roles of feminist activism, sexuality, and
organizational context. 17(1), pp. 17-29. Retrieved from
http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-17472-001
Irvine, J. (2018, March 05). 'Shocking' levels of sexual harassment at work, study reveals.
Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/shocking-levels-of-
sexual-harassment-at-work-study-reveals-20180305-p4z2wn.html
Jenkins, K. (2017, December 14). Sexual Harassment - Safer Workplaces . Retrieved from
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/speeches/sexual-harassment-safer-workplaces
Lucke, J. (2016, January 6). We need to do more about sexual harassment in the workplace .
Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-do-more-about-sexual-
harassment-in-the-workplace-52817
McDonald, P., Charlesworth, S., & Graham, T. (2015). Developing a framework of effective
prevention and response strategies in workplace sexual harassment. Asia Pacific
Journal of Human Resources, 53(1), 41-58. Retrieved from
https://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:31096
Morral, A., & Gore, K. (2014). Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the U.S. Military.
Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR870z2-1.html
Mujtaba, S. (2013, December 12). Sexual harassment in workplace: Causes and remedies .
Retrieved from http://ummid.com/news/2013/December/12.12.2013/workplace-
harassment.html
Salman, M., Abdullah, F., & Saleem, A. (2016). Sexual Harassment at Workplace and its
Impact on Employee Turnover Intentions. Business & Economic Review, 8(1), 87-
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102. Retrieved from https://www.imsciences.edu.pk/files/journals/vol82/Paper%206-
Sexual%20Harassment%20at%20Workplace.pdf
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