The Power and Reasons behind Sexual Harassment: An Employer's Guide to Solutions

Abstract

This article applies the models of achieved, ascribed and situational power to describe various forms of sexual harassment. Seven specific reasons for sexual harassment are discussed with specific proposals for effective employer responses to each type of harassment.

Sexual harassment: Violence against women in the workplace.

“…Reilly, Carpenter, Dull, & Bartlett, 1982; Valentine-French & Radtke, 1989); how women cope with harassment (Fitzgerald, Gold, & Brock, 1993; Gruber & Bjorn, 1986; Gutek, in press; Gutek & Koss, 1993); the attitudinal and cognitive characteristics of men who are likely to harass (Bargh & Raymond, 1992; Pryor, 1987; Pryor & Stoller, 1992); and the organizational conditions under which harassment is most likely to occur (Bond, 1988; Gutek & Cohen, 1987; Hulin, 1993; Fitzgerald, Hulin, & Drasgow, 1992; Hesson-McInnis & Fitzgerald, 1992; Pryor, LaVite, & Stoller, 1993). In addition, numerous papers have appeared discussing how to investigate complaints (Remick, Salisbury, Stringer, & Ginorio, 1990) and the development of appropriate institutional policies and strategies to deal with harassment (Biaggio, Watts, & Brownell, 1990; Fitzgerald, 1993b; Paludi & Barickman, 1991; Riger, 1991). Discussions of counseling interventions are also beginning to appear (Salisbury, Ginoria, Remick, & Stringer, 1986).…”