Sexual Harassment

1
Sexual Harassment Gender

• .

What is Sexual Harassment How is Sexual
Harassment viewed Responsibilities
Organizational Policy Statement Different
Perspectives Research Findings (wk 6)
2
U of Lethbridge (Personal Security Policy)

• Harassment
• conducts or comments-intimidating threatening
  demeaning or abusive. May be accompanied by
  direct/indirect or implied threats to grade (s)
  status or job.
• Between people of differing authority or/similar
  authority
• At individual/group
• Impact of creating an hostile environment
  hostile limits individuals in the pursuit of
  educational research work or personal
  development goals

3
Definition

• Includes but not limited to unwanted sexual
  advances unwanted requests for sexual favours
  other unwanted verbal or physical conduct of a
  sexual nature either explicitly/implicitly making
  a term or condition of an individuals
  educational employment or personal development
  progress..
• Includes hazing inc but not limited to
  initiation activities abusive or humiliating
  which subject the object of the activity to
  physical or emotional danger (http//www.uleth.ca/
  policy/ for further info)- Subtle (contrary to
  acceptable standards) Harassment (potential
  physical discomfort emotional anguish)
  Dangerous Hazing (coercion-use of drug alcohol)

4

• How to deal with SH by David J. Miramontes (84).
  San Diego Network Communications Inc.
• Test your own perceptions of what SH invloves
• Repeated questions about your personal life
• Sly innuendos
• Questions about your interests
• Suggestive pictures around ypur work
• Compliments on your figure
• Comments on your build
• Unnecessary personal contact
• Frequent use of endearments honey
• Sexual propositions
• Showing dirty cartoons
• Telling dirty jokes
• Excessive dirty or swearing talk
• A pass
• Sex oriented verbal kidding or abuse
• Suggestive body movements

5

• Do you find it a dilemma to label each one as SH
  Why/
• Defining the problem by different people
  differs
• Behaviours offensive to one person is not the
  least bothersome to some others
• Key issues what bothers or pleases the
  individuals involved-
• 2 workers enjoys telling dirty jokes no one
  hears the jokes - not a SH case.
• If a third worker overhears is offended by the
  jokes this cld be a case of SH under the quality
  of environmental issue.

6

• The strongest cases of discrimination due to SH
  wld involve
• Disrespect and prejudice which is excessive and
  shameful
• Unwanted or unwelcome sexual advances imposed by
  a supervisor manager or co-worker of an employee
• A connection between the resistance to the sexual
  conduct and the denial of job opportunities
• Conduct may or may not be sexual in nature but
  in some instances an individual may perceive the
  conduct as sexual
• A negative effect on the environment

7
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) 1980 Fed Guidelines as part of 1964
Civil Rights
.

• SH as

• Unwelcome sexual advances requests for sexual
  favors other verbal or physical conduct of a
  SH nature conduct when
• Submission to such conduct is made either
  explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of
  an individuals employment (hire fire)
  (Employment Condition)
• Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an
  individual used as a basis for employment
  decisions affecting such individual (promotions
  raises) (Employment Decisions)
• Such conduct has the purpose of effect of
  unreasonably interfering with an individuals
  work performance or creating an intimidating
  hostile or offensive working environment
  (unwanted behavior ma be sexual in nature)-
  (Offensive Working Environment)

8

• Unwelcome conduct
• - detrimental effect on work environment or job
  performance
• Quid pro quo
• employment or job performance is conditional on
  unwanted sexual relations
• Hostile work environment
• an intimidating hostile or offensive working
  environment

9

• Whos responsible EEOC
• Management Employees where the employer its
  agents or supervisory employees knew or should
  have known of the conduct unless the employer
  can rebut such apparent liability by showing it
  took immediate appropriate correction action.
• Non-employees where the employer its agents or
  supervisors knew or should have known of the
  conduct failed to take immediate appropriate
  corrective action. EEOC considers the extent of
  the employers control any other legal
  responsibility which the employer might have with
  respect to the conduct of such non-employee.
• Guidelines the employers are strictly
  responsible for the acts of SH regardless of
  whether the specific acts were authorised or even
  forbidden regardless of whether the employer
  knew or should have known of their occurrence.

10

• EEOC procedures for employer to stop SH
• Issue a strong clearly stated policy against
  all forms of SH in the workplace well
  publicized posted on all employee bulletin
  boards.
• A specific procedure to be adopted publicized
  to all employees
• Management sups and employees should be educated
  through an awareness program dealing specifically
  with SH
• Complaints to be investigated promptly and
  seriously
• Appropriate action shd be taken if SH occurs

11

• 
  
  Date___________
• SAMPLE CORPORATE POLICY ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT
• It has always been the policy of __________that
  our employees should be able to enjoy a work
  environment free from all forms of
  discrimination including sexual harassment.
• Sexual harassment is a form of misconduct which
  undermines the integrity of the employment
  relationship. No employee either male or
  female should be subjected to unsolicited and
  unwelcome sexual overtures or conduct either
  verbal or physical.
• Sexual harassment does not refer to occasional
  compliments of a socially acceptable nature. It
  refers to behavior which is not welcome which is
  personally offensive which weakens morale and
  which therefore interferes with the individual s
  effectiveness and work environment.
• Such conduct whether committed by supervisors
  non-supervisory personnel or non-employees is
  specifically prohibited and disciplinary action
  will be taken f such conduct is found to be
  valid. Such behavior includes repeated
  offensive sexual flirtations advances or
  propositions continued or repeated verbal abuse
  of a sexual in nature graphic or degrading
  verbal comments about an individual or his or her
  appearance the display of sexually suggestive
  objects or picture or any offensive or abusive
  contact.
• In addition no one should imply or threaten
  that an applicant or employees cooperation of
  a sexual nature (or refusal thereof) will have
  any effect on the individuals employment
  assignment compensation advancement career
  development or any other condition of employment.
• Any questions regarding either this policy or a
  specific situation should be addressed to the
  appropriate supervisor or ________________________
  _______at ________________________________________
  
•  
• ___________________________________ ____________
  ___________________
• EEO COORDINATOR PRESIDENT
• Source How to deal with sexual harassment by
  David J. Miramontes. San Diego Network
  Communications Inc (1984)
•  

12

• What is Harassment http//www.owjn.org/issues/s-
  harass/guide.htm (Sang Hyeob Team)
• Someone is harassing you if
• he is doing things to make you feel
  uncomfortable
• he is saying things to make you feel
  uncomfortable
• he is putting you at risk in some way.
• The harasser will pick anything that makes you
  seem different from him. You might be harassed
  because of your
• gender
• race
• disability
• age
• looks
• sexual preference
• religious beliefs
• family
• birth place
• political beliefs (including union activities).

13

• Sexual harassment is any unwanted attention of a
  sexual nature like remarks about your looks or
  personal life. Sometimes these comments sound
  like compliments but they make you feel uneasy.
  Sexual harassment can include
• degrading words or pictures (like graffiti
  photos or posters)
• physical contact of any kind
• sexual demands.
• Racial harassment is any action that expresses or
  promotes racial hatred and stereotypes. It can be
  obvious or subtle. It can include
• spoken or written putdowns
• gestures
• jokes
• other unwanted comments or acts

14

• Racial harassment can be hidden in questions or
  remarks that seem positive. Here are some
  examples
• You are really pretty for a black girl.
• Tell me what its like to always have your head
  and hair covered.
• Women from the Philippines are better at that
  than Canadian women.
• Native people are so good at crafts.
• Different kinds of harassment can happen at the
  same time. Here is an example.
• Leslie worked at a government office. She was
  called nigger and dyke by her co-workers. A
  male co-worker told her that he was the real
  man she always wanted and offered to change
  her. Anytime. She was told her work was not as
  good as that of other white workers. People
  said that she thought she was too good for her
  job because of her university degree.1

15

• . Harassers often have authority in the
  workplace. Your supervisor might be a harasser.
  You might also be harassed by a co-worker who
  wants you out of his way. Or you might be
  harassed by someone who works under you and
  doesnt like it. The harasser wants to hold power
  over you. He counts on your fear of complaining.
  He may think you are an easy target if there are
  few women where you work.

16

• Sometimes harassment that occurs outside the
  workplace affects your work. Actions like these
  can cause problems or harm relationships among
  employees
• someone from work follows you or hangs around
  your home
• phone calls and letters are sent to your home
• things happen at staff parties or retreats.
• Some kinds of work can make you feel very
  vulnerable. Here is an example
• Regina works for a family as a live-in nanny. She
  came to Canada for this job. She has no family
  and few friends here. It will be several years
  before she can apply for status as a landed
  immigrant or Canadian citizen. When something
  goes wrong in her workplace which is also where
  she lives Regina does not feel that she has
  anyone to whom she can turn for help.

17

• You have the right to ask your employer your
  union or an outside agency like the Human Rights
  Commission to take action against harassment.
• Shelley worked at a large corporation which she
  said was like a boys club. She complained
  about sexual harassment. The same day she was
  harassed for complaining. Only the supervisor
  the man Shelley complained about and Shelley
  herself were supposed to know. The boys even
  the ones in the union stuck by each other. They
  often made sexual remarks about Shelley or other
  women to her face. They would joke about not
  upsetting her. The workplace was often postered
  with pin-ups. When Shelley handed a written
  complaint to her supervisor he said I dont
  need this shit. After she left her job she
  filed charges with the Canadian Human Rights
  Commission against the corporation. She charged
  her employer with discrimination based on sex and
  with failing to provide a work environment free
  of sexual harassment.

18

• Is This Harassment
• There are many clear-cut examples of harassment.
  Racist and homophobic insults are harassment.
  When a boss demands that an employee have sex or
  lose her job it is clearly harassment and it is
  against the law. But there are many less obvious
  examples. Many people are not sure if what they
  are experiencing is harassment.
• Here are some examples of workplace behaviour
• a man puts his arms around a woman at work
• someone tells an offensive joke
• someone says You look great or Your hair
  looks terrific or Did you get any last night
  
• These may or may not be examples of harassment.
  It depends on the situation. Where two people are
  friends a comment like your hair looks
  terrific could be a compliment. If the same
  comment is made by a stranger on the street it
  feels very different. If your boss leans over
  your desk and whispers the comment in your ear
  while you are working it feels different again.
  The important questions are do you feel
  comfortable with this person making this comment
  And does he have any reason for believing that
  his comments are acceptable and welcome

19

• Here is another example. A group of factory
  workers have always told off-colour jokes. They
  are all comfortable with each other. No one is
  trying to offend anyone and no one takes the
  jokes seriously. Since they only work with each
  other all day they dont have to worry about
  upsetting anyone else. The jokes might offend
  some people but they are not harassment in this
  situation. If a new person joined their
  production line and was bothered by the jokes
  they should stop telling them. If they persisted
  with this behaviour in the presence of the new
  worker they would be harassing the new worker

20

• When you dont have support from other workers
  it can be very hard to fight.
• Stephanie works in the finance department of a
  large public institution. She is an Ojibway
  woman and is the only aboriginal employee in the
  department. Four months ago the department was
  reorganized and she now works with a different
  group of people. They all know each other and
  have worked together before. They go out to lunch
  together talk to each other and share jokes and
  slang. Stephanie is left out. She tries to deal
  with the problem by talking to the only woman in
  the group Kate. Stephanie explains that she
  feels excluded and that she thinks this harms the
  work. Kate denies anything is happening. She
  says Were not racists if thats what you
  mean. Stephanie has said nothing about racism
  and is a bit surprised.
• After this the workplace becomes unpleasant. It
  is clear to Stephanie that the others are talking
  about her. One morning she finds a piece of paper
  taped to her desk that says employment equity
  Indian. When Stephanie complains to her manager
  he offers to transfer her. He says This is a
  good group. They work well together. You
  obviously dont fit in.

21

• What Does the Harasser Think He is Doing
• Harassment can be confusing. You many wonder why
  the harasser is acting this way.
• He might not think he is harassing you.
• He might be very surprised when you call what he
  is doing harassment.
• He might not mean to harm you. He is treating you
  the way he has learned to treat women.
• He might feel that he has the right to behave
  this way with you.
• He might not think his actions have a big impact
  on you.
• He might want to push you out of a job that he
  thinks is for men only.
• He might be angry because you are assertive or
  question his way of doing things.
• BUT
• He might know he is upsetting you or harming you.
  He may enjoy the challenge. Maybe he feels more
  powerful when he treats you badly.
• And no matter what he thinks he is doing
  harassment is wrong. He can stop.

22

• What Does the Law Say Harassment is
• There is more than one definition of harassment
  under the law. Some forms of harassment are
  clearer than others. More work has been done on
  sexual and racial harassment than on other forms.
  Some other forms of harassment are still being
  argued in court. Harassment challenges are
  happening in a range of workplaces. The Ontario
  Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights
  Act name different forms of discrimination. You
  can turn to the section on The Human Rights
  Commission for more information. Some harassment
  cases have gone through the courts. The decisions
  that the courts have made set some precedents or
  guidelines for new cases.
• In these precedent-setting cases the courts have
  decided
• when employers are responsible for workers being
  harassed
• what is and is not acceptable behaviour
• to recognize the seriousness of the effects of
  harassment on women.

23

• An Empirical Investigation of Sexual Harassment
  Incidences in the Malaysian Workplace (Amie
  Team)
• This paper presents the findings of a study which
  investigates the factors that contributed to
  incidences of sexual harassment at the Malaysian
  workplace. A questionnaire survey which was
  partly based on the Sexual Experience
  Questionnaire (SEQ) developed by Fitzgerald et al
  (1988) was carried out involving 656 respondents.
  The findings showed that sexual harassment
  incidences are rampant at Malaysian workplaces.
  The findings also indicate that it is aggravated
  by several factors related to both the
  organization as well as the individual worker.
  Specifically a working environment characterized
  by lack of professionalism and sexist attitudes
  biased against women would cause female employees
  to be more prone to being sexually harassed. When
  the various demographic characteristics were
  studied the findings reveal that the sample of
  women employees who face a greater risk of sexual
  harassment tend to fall under the category of the
  unmarried less educated and Malay.

24

• Sexual harassment at the workplace is happening
  all too often with many factors being aggravated
  by both the individual employee as well as the
  organization. Like the United States 35 percent
  to 53 percent of women are sexually harassed in
  the workplace whether it be one of the two
  categories the Code of Practice on the Prevention
  and Eradication of Sexual Harassment cites as
  harassment sexual coercion or sexual annoyance.
  Sexual coercion is when the harassment directly
  affects the employees benefits while sexual
  annoyance is any conduct that the victim feels is
  offensive. The Code is completely voluntary at
  this point but it is starting to make progress
  in that the employer can end up having mandatory
  disciplinary actions against those who choose to
  break the sexual harassment rule.

25

• one of the reasons - the socio-cultural view
  (Sociocultural Model) of women that men have a
  large dominance over women in this particular
  culture.
• The study also pointed to a more likely for an
  unmarried younger woman to be harassed than an
  older married woman. Also the women in more of a
  subordinate unprofessional position are more
  likely to experience sexual harassment than a
  more professional woman. The studies Ismail and
  Chee conducted showed that 17.7 of women in
  unprofessional work environments are victims of
  offensive language directed towards them then
  those in a professional work environment (where
  there is an incidence rate of 7.7).

26

• A question of dress also arose when conducting
  the survey. There is a definite correlation
  between how sexily a woman is dressed for work
  and how the amount of sexual harassment she
  receives. 16.5 of women who admit to sometimes
  dressing sexy for work have a high rate of sexual
  harassment while the women who are not
  comfortable dressing in this manner experience a
  very low rate of harassment.
• The demographics of the respondents also seemed
  to have an affect on how often they fall victim
  to sexual harassment. Women who have a higher
  education are much less likely to be harassed and
  if they are they do not put up with it as long
  as those women with a low level of education. And
  lastly it was found that women who are Malay
  experience much higher levels of harassment than
  those who are non-Malay.

27

• Sexual Harassment Coping Strategies Amongst
  Women in Manufacturing Organizations in Penang
• Barathi Krishnan Intan Osman (2003)
• Sexual harassment is one of the most common forms
  of sexual violation faced by women. Women are
  sexually harassed in the streets in public
  transport and at the workplace. Sexually harassed
  women often find it difficult to seek appropriate
  strategies against the harassers due to their
  social and psychological backgrounds and beliefs.
  This study examined whether womens feminist
  attitudes their gender-role beliefs and
  demographic factors have any influence on the
  types of coping strategies they would adopt in
  cases of sexual harassment. It focused on
  emotion-focused and problem-solving strategies.
  Data were collected via questionnaires from 207
  female employees of manufacturing organizations
  in Penang. The findings showed that feminist
  ideology and gender-role beliefs have significant
  impact on emotion-focused coping strategy. Race
  education level and position in the company
  showed significant impact towards problem-solving
  coping strategy

28

• Regardless of all its publicity and the fact
  that sexual harassment problems have been
  acknowledged in the last two decades (L. G. Seah
  2004) sexual harassment still remains hidden by
  most of its victims in our society (Hotelling
  1991).
• Due to embarrassment helplessness and fear of
  being known and worse still of losing their
  jobs most of the victims of sexual harassment
  had to suffer in silence (Lim Ah Lek 1999).
• In Malaysia (in the 1950s) a group of women
  estate workers in Klang and Sitiawan Central
  part of Malaysia went on strike in protest of
  being sexually harassed (Wani Muthiah 2001). a
  case involving a female employee of Jennico
  Associates who has been harassed by her employer
  was brought to the Malaysian court in 1999 (Wan
  Hazmir Bakar 1999).
• Another case in point involved a woman employee
  of the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE)
  who was harassed and sexually assaulted by Public
  Bank security guards in Kuala Lumpur (The Star
  December 4 2002). These cases proved that
  incidences of sexual harassment occur in varied
  working environment regardless of the victims
  position in an organization

29

• Gosselin (1984) concludes that sexual harassment
  is a widespread phenomenon with social economic
  and psychological consequences for the victim.
  For the victims it often produces feelings of
  revulsion disgust anger and helplessness. It
  damages the victims health. It results in
  emotional and physical stress and stress-related
  illnesses.
• Sexual harassment adversely affects employee
  morale job performance productivity and
  absenteeism among affected employees. Women have
  been reported being fired or refused advancement
  as a result of rejecting sexual advances
  (Errington Davidson 1980). Moreover many
  female employees who face sexual harassment
  choose to resign from their jobs rather than
  fight or endure the offensive conditions
  (Gosselin 1984).
• Although a small proportion of men experience
  sexual harassment it is mainly women in junior
  positions who are the victims of harassment from
  male colleagues or superiors. Those usually
  responsible for harassment have been proven in
  previous research to be men of status either
  equal to or higher than the victim and that
  physical harassment is more likely from superiors
  than from colleagues (Stanford Gardiner 1993
  in Worsfold McCann 2000

30

• this study will examine whether womens feminist
  ideology gender-role beliefs and demographic
  factors influence women to use different types of
  coping strategies as these variables have been
  shown to affect the way women cope with sexual
  harassment (Brooks Perot 1991 Jensen Gutek
  1982 Fitzgerald et all 1988 Gruber Bjorn
  1986 Gutek 1985 and Schneider 1982).

31

• The definition of sexual harassment is fairly
  broad (Northcraft and Neale 1994).
• The guideline developed by the Equal Employment
  Opportunity Commission (EEOC 1980) which
  describes sexual harassment as I) quid pro quo
  harassment in which sexual conduct is made a
  condition of employment and 2) hostile work
  environment harassment in which sexual conduct
  unreasonably interferes with work performance or
  creates an intimidating hostile or offensive
  work environment.
• The Malaysian Trade Union Congress stated that
  sexual harassment comprised unwanted sexual
  advances including unnecessary physical contact
  touching or patting suggestive and unwelcome
  remarks jokes comments about appearance and
  verbal abuse. It also includes leering and
  compromising invitations use of pornographic
  pictures at the workplace demands for sexual
  favors and physical assault (New Straits Times
  April 4 1996).
• IRS (1996a) presented almost a similar viewpoint
  on what employers considered to be sexual
  harassment based on a survey on students studying
  hospitality management in the UK higher education
  system from which majority identified sexual
  assaults demand for sexual favors and unwanted
  physical contact as definite examples of sexual
  harassment. Offensive flirtation gender related
  derogatory remarks suggestive remarks and
  sexist and patronising behaviour also forms of
  sexual harassment by more than half of the sample
  (Worsfold and MacCann 2000)

32

• Coping strategies refer to the specific efforts
  both behavioral and psychological that people
  employ to master tolerate reduce or minimize
  stressful events. (Taylor 1998).
• The two general coping are emotion-focused and
  problem-solving coping. The former is a method
  of dealing with the emotional effects of sexual
  harassment problem without changing the causal
  situation where the victims will keep quiet
  ignores the problem blame themselves or resign
  without taking any action
• Problem-solving coping strategy is an attempt to
  analyze the problem and determine its best
  solution. This strategy includes complaints to
  the police and through companys procedures or
  discuss with companys upper management. (Folkman
  Lazarus 1985). Folkman and Lazarus (1985)
  found that victims choose either emotion-focused
  or problem-solving coping strategies as a method
  of dealing with sexual harassment.
• Most women use emotion-focused coping mechanisms
  which are distancing and escape based instead of
  problem-solving coping mechanisms when trying to
  handle the problem of sexual harassment (Folkman
  et al 1985)

33

• The study used the sociocultural model which
  focuses on the larger social and political
  context in which sexual harassment occurs.
• This model proposes that harassing behaviors at
  work are an extension of male dominance in the
  society in which the organization is embedded
  (Farley 1978 MacKinnon 1979). It posits that
  workers bring their gender roles and stereotypes
  into the workplace.
• The model asserts that men and women are
  socialized
• for stereotyped interactions to occur. Men are
  expected to display dominating and aggressive
  behaviors whereas women remain more passive and
  blame themselves for being victimized. As a
  result of this manner of socialization men view
  their behaviors as natural and justified (Vaux
  1993).

34

• The study also employs the sex-role spillover
  model (Gutek Morasch 1982) which assumes that
  workers bring gender-based expectations for
  behavior into the workplace though these beliefs
  are not appropriate for work which proposes that
  gender identity is more salient than the worker
  identity.
• Men and women therefore fall back on these
  gender-based expectations in their work
  environments where they are inappropriate.
  Conflicts are more likely to arise in situations
  in which the sex-role stereotypes are discrepant
  with the work roles of the particular genders.
  These are places in which gender is made more
  pronounced and is recognized over the work role.
• Women are therefore more likely to experience
  sexual
• harassment in nontraditional work situations
  involving works other than nurturing or being a
  sex object.
• Based on these two theories the variables of
  interests feminist ideology and gender role
  beliefs towards sexual harassment will be the
  determinants on the types of coping strategies
  women would adopt if they are sexually harassed

35

• It has been reported that younger individuals are
  more likely to make a formal complaint when
  sexually harassed than are older ones (Terpstra
  Cook 1985) which is complimentary to the finding
  of Barak Fisher and Houston (1992) that older
  more experienced women are more likely to
  perceive an environment as sexually hostile and
  therefore conclude that their claim will not be
  taken seriously or that they would experience
  some other negative outcome.
• In a study of whistle-blowers perceptions of
  organizational retaliation Parmerlee Near and
  Jensen (1982) also found that younger individuals
  were more likely than older ones to report
  instances of wrongdoing. Given the evidence from
  these studies younger individuals appear to have
  more positive expectations concerning the outcome
  of reporting incidents of sexual harassment than
  do older individuals. Brooks and Perot (1991)
  found age and marital status have direct
  influence on perceived offensiveness of the
  incident and that perceived offensiveness have a
  direct influence on reporting the incident.
• However Gruber and Bjorn (1986) Ragins and
  Scandura (1995) found that age marital status
  education do not consistently predict differences
  in womens assertiveness in handling sexual
  harassment.
• The inconsistent results could be explained by
  the fact that older women tend to have more
  organizational resources such as seniority or
  status which is likely to increase their
  assertiveness but younger women are often
  targeted for more severe and frequent sexual
  harassment which in turn prompts them to be more
  assertive (Gruber Bjorn 1986).

36

• Sharifah (2001) in her study found position and
  education level were important factors in
  adopting positive coping strategies amongst women
  who were sexually harassed. The most popular
  strategies used were sharing the information with
  trusted person and discussing with top
  management. Sharifah (2001) claimed that most of
  her respondents were from management level
  therefore they could have higher understanding on
  exercising their rights as employees and at the
  same time closer to the top management as
  compared to the lower level employees. The same
  results were also found in Wan Azharis (1996)
  research which unrevealed that lower level
  employee would prefer to keep quiet rather than
  complain since they have fear of retaliation from
  the harasser.

37

• Feminist Ideology
• Gender-Role Beliefs
• Demographic Factors
• COPING STRATEGIES
• Emotion-focused coping strategies
• Problem-focused coping strategies

38

• H1 Women who holds conservative gender-role
  attitudes would adopt emotion-focused coping
  strategies when encounter with sexual harassment.
• H2 Women with feminist ideology would adopt
  problem-focused coping strategies against sexual
  harassment.
• H3 There is a relationship between demographic
  factors namely age race marital status
  education level position and duration in the
  company with the coping strategies against sexual
  harassment.

39

• Section 1 focused on the demographic data of the
  respondents. The six variables are age race
  marital status education level position in the
  company and duration of service in the company.
• Section 2 was made up of three statements 1)
  Women are considered as sex objects at working
  place
• 2)Women behave in a seductive manner at work
  will be rewarded more for that behavior than for
  competence
• at work and 3) Sexual harassment at work
  reflects a power relationship male over female
  to
• measure respondents feminist ideology (Brooks
  Perot 1991).
• Section 3 has four statements
• measuring respondents gender-role beliefs
  (Hotelling 1991 Brooks Perot 1991 Gutek
  1985).

40

• These are 1) Wage-earning women should limit
  their employment to specific female jobs such as
  teachers nurses and secretaries 2) In a work
  group it is womans responsibility to make
  coffee or take notes at the meeting 3) It is a
  womans responsibility to prevent sexual
  harassment 4) Women need to be blamed and it is
  their fault if sexual harassment occurs. Both
  independent variables were measured based on 5
  point Likert Scale 1 being Strongly Disagree to
  5 being Strongly Agree.
• Section 4 contains six items to measure the types
  of coping strategies that would be adopted
• (Folkman Lazarus 1985 and Hippensteele 1996)
  were measured based on 5 point Likert Scale
• 1 being Strongly Disagree to 5 being Strongly
  Agree. Items 1 2 and 6 measure the
  emotion-focused coping
• strategy while the remaining items measure the
  problem-solving coping strategy.

41

• Coping Strategy
• Ill keep quiet and blame myself
• Ill be patient and ignore the problem
• Ill make a complaint through Grievance Procedure
• Ill make a police complaint
• Ill bring this matter to the court
• Ill resign without taking any action

42

• 200 responses were returned and usable a
  response rate 50 .
• The majority of them (57.5) are within the
  age of 21 to 30 years old). In terms of racial
  distribution
• Malays were the majority (47.5) followed by
  Chinese (30) Indians (20) and other races
  (2.5).
• In terms of highest level of education 5.0
  percent respondents are SRP / PMR / LCE holders.
  The majority of respondents (30.5) are SPM / MCE
  holders. Among the respondents only 14
  respondents highest levels of education are STPM
  (7.0). Diploma holders constitute 18.0 percent.
  Bachelor degree and Master degree holders
  constitute 29.5 percent and 10.0 percent
  respectively.
• In term of position in company most of the
  respondents were from supervisory category. They
  constitute 45.5 percent from 200 respondents.
  This is followed by non-supervisory category with
  30.0 percent. 15 percent were production workers
  and 9.5 percent were from managerial category.
• In terms of duration of service in the present
  organization 20.5 percent of the respondents had
  less than 1 year of service while 18.0 percent
  had 1 to 2 years of service in the present
  company. 33 respondents representing 16.5 percent
  had 2 to 3 years of service this is followed by
  9.5 percent of respondents with 3 to 4 years of
  service. 10.5 percent of the respondents had 4 to
  5 years of service while majority of 25.0
  percent had more than 5 years of service in
  present company.

43

• Results
• . feminist ideology and gender-role beliefs have
  significant impact on emotion-focused coping
  strategy.
• . feminist ideology and gender-role beliefs have
  no significant impact on problem-solving coping
  strategy.
• age marital status and duration of service are
  almost significant in influencing emotion-focused
  strategy that women would adopt if they are
  sexually harassed
• age race and position in the company are almost
  significant in influencing problem-solving coping
  strategy adopted by women if they are sexually
  harassed

44

• Discussion and Conclusions
• Feminist attitude was found to be a significant
  predictor of emotion-focused coping strategy.
  This study found that female employees who hold
  pro-feminist ideology will choose emotion-focused
  coping strategy if they encounter with sexual
  harassment. However this finding found to be
  inconsistent with past researches that have been
  done internationally. International researchers
  such as Brooks and Perot (1991) Schneider
  (1982) and Jensen and Gutek (1982) found that
  women who have high feminist attitude would adopt
  problem-solving coping strategies if they
  encounter with sexual harassment. One of the
  possible reasons for this inconsistency could be
  the cultural difference among women in our
  country and women in the country the research
  done. Due to the differences in the environment
  and cultural beliefs women in Malaysia prefer to
  be silent and ignore the sexual harassment
  problem although they have a high feminist
  element in them.

45

• Gender-role beliefs is found to have significant
  impact on emotion-focused coping strategy. In
  other words female employees in this study who
  hold high gender-role belief will use
  emotion-focused coping strategy if they are
  sexually harassed. This finding is supported by
  researches conducted by Brooks and Perot (1991)
  Fitzgerald (1988) and Gutek (1985).
• They found that women who endorse gender-role
  beliefs generally respond less assertively to
  sexual harassment or choose emotion-focused
  coping strategy. In can be said that women in our
  society still hold the traditional cultural role
  for women as wife and mother and they believe
  that wage-earning women should limit their
  employment opportunities to specific female jobs.
  
• Women with this kind of gender-based expectations
  in their work environment will blame themselves
  if sexual harassment occur and choose to keep
  quiet and ignore the problem.

46

• Overall the findings of this study show that
  women will choose emotion-focused or the passive
  type of coping strategies if they encounter
  sexual harassment.
• The results of this study seem to suggest that
  women in this country are not playing an active
  role in preventing and eradicating sexual
  harassment. Therefore they need to be encouraged
  to take problem-solving or the active type of
  strategies if they are sexually harassed.
• One of the ways is by promoting the Code of
  Practice and Eradication of Sexual Harassment in
  workplace. This task can be taken by Human
  Resources Ministry and the Women and Family
  Development Ministry.
• It is hoped that the findings of the study will
  help the ministries to decide whether there is a
  need to have a specific law on sexual harassment
  to educate and address issues/consequences
  arising out of

47
Office Romance and Power

• .

• Co-workers believe that employees in
  relationships abuse their power to favour each
  other.
• Higher risk of sexual harassment when
  relationship breaks off.

48