Workplace romance versus sexual harassment: a call to action regarding sexual hubris and sexploitation in the #MeToo era

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-347
Author(s):  
Lisa Mainiero
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Organizational Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Call To Action ◽  
Workplace Romance ◽  
Lower Status ◽  
Sexual Harassment Policies ◽  
Dominant Coalition

Purpose The #MeToo movement has brought questions of sexuality and power in the workplace to the forefront. The purpose of this paper is to review the research on hierarchial consensual workplace romances and sexual harassment examining the underlying mechanisms of power relations. It concludes with a call to action for organizational leaders to adopt fair consensual workplace romance policies alongside strong sexual harassment policies. Design/methodology/approach This paper represents a conceptual review of the literature on consensual workplace romance, sexual harassment, passive leadership and power relations. Passive leadership leads to a climate of incivility that in turn suppresses disclosures of sexual harassment (Lee, 2016). Consensual workplace romances across hierarchical power relations carry significant risks and may turn into harassment should the romance turn sour. Findings Two new concepts, sexual hubris and sexploitation, are defined in this paper. Sexual hubris, defined as an opportunistic mindset that allows the powerful to abuse their power to acquire sexual liaisons, and its opposite, sexploitation, defined as a lower-status member using sexuality to gain advantage and favor from an upper-level power target, are dual opportunistic outcomes of an imbalanced power relation. Sexual hubris may increase the likelihood for sexual harassment such that a mindset occurs on the part of the dominant coalition that results in feelings of entitlement. Sexploitation is a micromanipulation tactic designed to create sexual favoritism that excludes others from the power relation. Research limitations/implications Sexual hubris and sexploitation are conceptualized as an opportunistic mechanisms associated with imbalanced power relations to spur future research to tease out complex issues of gender, sexuality and hierarchy in the workplace. Sexual hubris serves to protect the dominant coalition and shapes organizational norms of a climate of oppression and incivility. Conversely, sexploitation is a micromanipulation tactic that allows a lower-status member to receive favoritism from a higher-power target. Four research propositions on sexual hubris and sexploitation are presented for future scholarship. Practical implications Most organizational leaders believe consensual romance in the office cannot be legislated owing to privacy concerns. Passive leadership is discussed as a leadership style that looks the other way and does not intervene, leading to workplace hostility and incivility (Lee, 2016). Inadequate leadership creates a climate of passivity that in turn silences victims. Policies concerning consensual workplace romance should stand alongside sexual harassment policies regardless of privacy concerns. Social implications The #MeToo movement has allowed victims to disclose sexual misconduct and abuse in the workplace. However, the prevalence of sexual harassment claims most often can be traced to a leadership problem. Employers must recognize that sexual hubris and sexploitation arise from imbalances of power, where sex can be traded for advancement, and that often consensual workplace romances end badly, leading to claims of sexual harassment. Consensual romance policies must stand alongside sexual harassment policies. Originality/value Sexual hubris and sexploitation are offered as novel concepts that provide a mechanism for conceptualizing the potential for abuse and manipulation from unbalanced power relations. These are original concepts derived from the arguments within this paper that help make the case for consensual workplace romance policies alongside sexual harassment policies.

The love-smitten director: workplace romance or sexual harassment?

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
June M.L. Poon
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Class Discussion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Workplace Romance

Subject area Human resource management Study level/applicability This case is suitable for use for advanced-level undergraduate students (e.g. in their third or fourth year of study) and graduate-level students enrolled in human resource management, industrial relations, organizational behavior and legal courses (e.g. business law and ethics, employment law). It can be used also in training courses and sexual harassment workshops for employees, particularly those with supervisory responsibilities or who are involved in personnel, training, or industrial relations activities. The case has been class tested with MBA students enrolled in a course on organizational behavior. Case overview In March 2014, William Wong, the CEO of Zejaya Corporation faced a dilemma. He had just been told some disturbing news about Larry Pang, his executive director, which may or may not have legal implications for the company in relation to sexual harassment. Two of his managers had confided in him that Linda Tan, one of his managers who had recently resigned, had asked them to tell him about Pang's repeated attempts to court her in the past several months. He was undecided on how he should handle the problem. Expected learning outcomes This case was developed for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. The case provides students the opportunity to learn about the potential ethical and legal issues surrounding workplace romance and sexual harassment at work. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Managers' sexually-oriented behavior and firm performance: linking media reports to stock market reactions and legal risk

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Nicole Baker ◽  
David King ◽  
Michael Nalick ◽  
Melissa Tempio ◽  
Vishal K. Gupta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Stock Market ◽  
Market Reaction ◽  
Market Reactions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stock Market Reaction ◽  
Workplace Romance ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Stock Market Reactions ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe goal of this study is to examine the association between managers' sexually-oriented behavior in publicly traded firms and subsequent stock market reactions. Both sexual harassment and nonharassing sexually-oriented behavior (i.e. workplace romance) are associated with negative shareholder reactions. The authors also examine factors that may alter the stock market reaction and those that may reduce the risk of lawsuit in sexual harassment cases.Design/methodology/approachInformation about incidents of sexually-oriented behavior was collected from media reports and content coded. An event study with a stock market reaction was used to measure the impact of disclosed sexually-oriented behaviors. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between incident characteristics and sexual harassment lawsuits.FindingsDisclosure of managers' sexually-oriented behavior is associated with a negative stock market reaction. Interestingly, the reaction was not more severe for sexual harassment disclosures compared to nonharassing behavior (i.e. workplace romance). Results also suggest that terminating a manager prior to disclosure of an event is negatively related to a harassment lawsuit.Originality/valueThe authors report this as the first study to focus on the stock market reaction of sexually-oriented harassing and nonharassing behavior of managers. This work complements research that documents the negative impact of sexual harassment on individuals by demonstrating these behaviors are associated with loss and risk at an organizational level.

Workplace romance and sexual favoritism in the #MeToo workplace: legal and practical considerations for management

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Joseph Cavico ◽  
Bahaudin Ghulam Mujtaba
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Sex Discrimination ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Workplace Romance ◽  
The Us

PurposeThe advent of the #MeToo movement has brought forth increased national and global attention to sexual assault, abuse, misconduct, discrimination and harassment in the workplace, especially by prominent executives against subordinate female employees. Accordingly, in this article, we are thoroughly analyzing one aspect of office romance and sexual conduct in the workplace, mainly sexual favoritism in the era of the #MeToo movement.Design/methodology/approachThis is a legal and case-based human resource policies paper. It reviews actual workplace romance cases, policies and court-based decisions to create practical recommendations that can be used by managers, entrepreneurs and corporations for their organizations. One delimitation of this paper is the fact that it focuses on the US context. Another is that, while organizational behavior researchers have empirically studied various workplace romance policies and practices, the paper is a case-by-case analysis of sexual favoritism. “Specifically, the legal research for this article was conducted on the law database, Nexis Uni Legal, in the Cases (both federal and state) and Law Reviews and Journals sub-databases, using the direct key words in quotations “workplace romance,” “office romance,” “sexual favoritism,” and/or “paramour preference,” as well as the indirect key words “appearance discrimination, “preferring the pretty,” and/or “lookism.” As the authors' intent was to examine the legal and practical consequences emanating from the #MeToo Movement, the authors concentrated their search on cases and law reviews from 2012 to February 2021.FindingsResearch shows that about 35–42% of women have experienced some form of sexual harassment or sex discrimination at work. Many of the high-profile sexual cases that generated the #MeToo movement involved powerful executives asserting that their romantic relationships with subordinates in the workplace were “merely” consensual office romance or sexual favoritism. As a result of the #MeToo movement, employers have been compelled to reconsider how they should respond to sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, office romance and sexual favoritism in the workplace. This article offers best practices for policymakers and human resources professionals.Research limitations/implicationsThis article's recommendations are limited to workplaces in the US and may not be relevant in other countries as the local laws might vary.Practical implicationsThere are policy and behavioral implications for companies, managers and employees regarding workplace romance and sexual favoritism. As such, we provide policy recommendations to human resources department and management on how to provide a healthy work environment for all employees and avoid liability for sexual harassment cases pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.Social implicationsThe awareness of policies and laws regulating office romance can help educate managers and employees in local communities as to their rights regarding relationships with coworkers and those who report to them. When people are able to date whomever they desire outside of the workplace, employers can regulate some aspects of sexual relationships in the workplace.Originality/valueThis is an original paper by the authors.

scholarly journals Economic pluralism in the study of wage discrimination: a note

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Drydakis
Keyword(s):  
Power Relations ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Economic Thought ◽  
Wage Discrimination ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lower Status ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Minority Workers

Purpose Economic pluralism proposes that economists and social planners should consider alternative theories to establish a range of policy actions. Neoclassical, Feminist and Marxian theories evaluate well-grounded causes of wage discrimination. However, a reluctance to consider less-dominant theories among different schools of economic thought restricts analysis and proposed policies, resulting in a monism method. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The authors provide a brief review of the theoretical literature on wage discrimination. The significance of a pluralistic analysis is demonstrated by addressing correspondence test patterns of wage discrimination. Findings In considering Neoclassical, Feminist and Marxian theories, racist attitudes, uncertainties regarding minority workers’ productivity and power relations in lower-status sectors might generate discriminatory wages. Each cause deserves corresponding policy action. Research limitations/implications Time is needed to provide a pluralistic evaluation of wage discrimination. In addition, pluralism requires rigorous investigations to avoid incoherencies. Pluralism might be jeopardised if there is a limited desire to engage with less-dominant theoretical frameworks. Also, pluralism might be misled with rejection of dominant theories. Practical implications Given pluralism, wage discrimination might be reduced by implementing equality campaigns, creating low-cost tests to predict workers’ productivity and abolishing power relations towards minority workers. Originality/value Little work has been on economic pluralism in the study of wage discrimination. The current study addresses the gap in the literature.

How Girls Generation Use Erotic Capital?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Social Influence ◽  
Women's Studies ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Feminist Scholarship ◽  
Musical Performances ◽  
Women’S Studies ◽  
Workplace Romance ◽  
Erotic Capital

We didn’t work like common women's studies work on sexuality that generally focuses on sexual harassment or workplace romance to the exclusion of strategic forms of erotic capital. However, we consider women’s strategic sexual performances as a form of social influence and address the positive and negative consequences that may follow. This review highlights the occurrence and complexities of erotic capital in Girls Generation’s musical performances and modelling career, then discusses the important implications of use their erotic capital (i.e. face and leg) to influence others or gain desired ends. In so doing, the findings highlight a need for rethinking traditional conceptualizations of empowerment and initiates a new direction for feminist scholarship in this regard.

OZA KIOZA

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Social Influence ◽  
Women's Studies ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Feminist Scholarship ◽  
Women’S Studies ◽  
Workplace Romance ◽  
Erotic Capital

The work of women's studies on sexuality generally focuses on sexual harassment or workplace romance to the exclusion of strategic forms of erotic capital. We consider women’s strategic sexual performances as a form of social influence and address the positive and negative consequences that may follow. We provides narrative biography of Oza Kioza as a singer. Then, this review highlights the occurrence and complexities of erotic capital in Oza Kioza's career and discusses the important implications of use her erotic capital (i.e. breast) to influence others or gain desired ends. In so doing, the findings highlight a need for rethinking traditional conceptualizations of empowerment whereby resistance equals empowering and reproduction equals disempowering, and initiates a new direction for feminist scholarship in this regard.

Princess Lexie: A Glance Journey of A Princess for Our Time

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Social Influence ◽  
Women's Studies ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Feminist Scholarship ◽  
Women’S Studies ◽  
Workplace Romance ◽  
Erotic Capital

Women's studies work on sexuality generally focuses on sexual harassment or workplace romance to the exclusion of strategic forms of erotic capital. I consider women’s strategic sexual performances as a form of social influence and address the positive and negative consequences that may follow. This thesis highlights the occurrence and complexities of erotic capital in Princess Lexie video performances nor discusses the important implications of use her erotic capital (i.e. breast and ass) to influence others or gain desired ends. In so doing, the findings highlight a need for rethinking traditional conceptualizations of empowerment whereby resistance equals empowering and reproduction equals disempowering, and initiates a new direction for feminist scholarship in this regard. This thesis dedicating to Princess Lexie, as my intellectual tribute for the adorably cute dangerously manipulative female.

Transforming library communication: from Gutenberg to Zuckerberg

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 247-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Einasto
Keyword(s):  
Information Search ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Social Institution ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Disciplinary Power ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library User

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse institutional and functional development of a library with the help of communication theories. The library as a social institution should have a quite strong position in today’s information society, but new ways of information search have made its position unstable. Thus, a library needs theoretical and cultural-political comprehension and reassessment. The paper tries to answer the questions as to how a library can satisfy the needs of modern society and which strategy of library communication will be in demand tomorrow. Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical background is represented by communication theories of Marshal McLuhan, Denis McQuail and Yuri Lotman, as well as Michel Foucault’s concepts of disciplinary power and governmentality. Findings – The analysis revealed that library–user communication is based primarily on power relations, where “access” is the main keyword. The article brought out differences in library communicative processes in the “Gutenberg Galaxy” and today’s global network society, “Zuckerberg Era”. The analysis showed that library–user relationship is shifting from disciplinary power and monologue to the governmentality and new communicative forms, dialogue and participation. Research limitations/implications – The study demonstrates the possibility of implication of communication theories for library functional analysis. The new studies investigating which methods and forms of communication do libraries use today, how are the elements of power relations transforming would be very useful for the understanding of the topic. Practical implications – The study proposes to libraries some ideas that may be useful for developing the library communication strategy. Originality/value – This study, based on the communicative approach, corresponds well to library phenomenon and nature, as well as allows for reflection on the role of libraries in the society of today and future.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document