If we build it, will they come? Lack of incentives as barriers to implementing effective sexual harassment training

Abstract

Medeiros and Griffith (2019) correctly assert, "… sexual harassment and sexual assault are issues in organizations of all kinds and need to be addressed" (p. 3). Organizations should strive to create a welcoming and safe environment for all employees, and designing trainings that promote effective transfer is part of that effort. Yet, only 10% of adults polled in February and March of 2018 reported any increase in sexual harassment training or resources since the #MeToo movement began (Gurcheik, 2018). This demonstrates that the visible social movement has not necessarily translated into increased effort by organizations to address the problem-but why not? In this commentary, we argue that organizations may not be motivated to increase the effectiveness of their sexual assault and sexual harassment interventions. Medeiros and Griffith (2019) articulate a comprehensive framework detailing what is known about effective training design, evaluation, and post-training environmental factors. However, the effectiveness of any training is fundamentally based on the premise that organizations are inclined to implement these best practices and improve their trainings. We are not sure that this is the case. Lack of incentives at the organizational level Organizations are not sufficiently motivated to implement effective sexual harassment training programs. The paramount reason organizations implement these trainings is to "check a legal box," which creates cynicism among trainees (Kath & Magley, 2014). "Check the box" trainings, those typically conducted by organizations, signal that the organization is not fully committed to changing its climate. Rather, the organization's goal is to protect itself. Medeiros and Griffith (2019) mention the term climate multiple times in this focal article; however, they fail to explain how their framework will change organizational culture and why organizations would choose to implement it in the first place. According to Marcia McCormick, a law professor at St. Louis University, "The biggest reason that companies do workplace harassment training is because it gives them a special legal defense when it comes to being sued" (Adams, 2017). Laws prohibiting sexual harassment have been in place for years, yet instances of sexual harassment are still widespread, and the majority of instances are unreported (Hersch, 2018; Reger & Pollack, 2017). Reports to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) are even more rare than reports to organizations-only Authors Isabel Bilotta and Meghan Davenport contributed equally, and authorship was determined alphabetically.