Preventing workplace harassment: an organizational change perspective

In recent years, harassment in the workplace has become an increasingly important issue for organizations of all sizes. The publicity surrounding the Senate’s confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas, the Navy’s Tailhook scandal, and the allegations against several public officials have increased the general public’s awareness of and knowledge about sexual harassment. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), courts, and Congress have expanded the scope of illegal harassment so that employers are now responsible for maintaining a work environment free of harassment based on not only sex but also race, colour, national origin, religion, age or disability. Although most of the harassment research has focused on the legal and/or practical “steps ” necessary for employers to avoid liability (Champagne et al., 1992; Platt, 1994; Rohling, 1993; Terpstra and Baker, 1988; 1992), a somewhat neglected issue is how most effectively to prevent illegal harassment. A strictly legal approach to preventing illegal harassment puts responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the employer. As a result, the central issues involv