Contents

1. Introduction And Background Of The Study...........................................................................3

1.1 Research Topic.......................................................................................................................3

1.2 Research Background............................................................................................................3

2. Problem Statement...................................................................................................................4

3. Literature Review.....................................................................................................................4

4. Objective Of The Study............................................................................................................5

4.1 Research Aims.......................................................................................................................6

5. Justification And Significance Of The Study...........................................................................6

6. Conceptual Framework And Hypothesis.................................................................................7

6.1 Research Questions................................................................................................................7

7. Research Methodology.............................................................................................................7

7.1 Data Collection Method.........................................................................................................8

8. Limitations Of The Study.......................................................................................................10

9. Expected Output And Results................................................................................................10

10. Time Schedule And Budgeting...........................................................................................11

11. Recommendations and Conclusion.....................................................................................12

12. References:.........................................................................................................................13
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1. Introduction And Background Of The Study

1.1 Research Topic

Presence of sexual harassment at workplace and its impact on business operation.

1.2 Research Background

Organizations deal and run with people from different background with different
attitudes. Sexual harassment has become a buzzword in the current business world since
employees in different industries often claim to be sexually abused . To younger
generations, the topic of sexual harassment appears a relatively new issue. However,
misbehavior and wrongdoing have long been present in workplaces and history reflects
inappropriate behavior in the workplace dating back to as early as the mid-19th Century,
when female workers were commonly asked for sexual favors. Fortunately, with the help
of social media, a minuscule portion of these events have been revealed to the public.
Sexual harassment can affect the physical and mental condition of the employees. By
affecting the employees of the firm, it may affect the operational smoothness of the firms.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sexual
harassment can be defined as the unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature (Salvatore and Shelton, 2007).
Sexual harassment is very common with the globalization process since it allows lots of
people to get involved in productive works.
In this research project, I want to conduct the research to identify the presence of sexual
Harassment at workplaces . At part of the research, I will also assess the effects on the act
on the employees as well as the firms. Over the last year, various articles and sexual
harassment cases reflected that industries such as construction and entertainment are most
vulnerable to the threat of sexual harassment with disturbing results indicating that up to
94% of women having been a victim of sexual harassment.
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2. Problem Statement

It is true that no occupation or profession is safe from sexual harassment. Sexual

harassment continues to be a prevalent issue in workplaces. The frequency shows the
seriousness of the problem and also the urgent need to eliminate it. Studies have shown
that women are more prone to sexual harassment. However we cannot turn a blind eye
also to the fact that although less frequent, men can also be victims of sexual harassment.
Several studies have revealed that women are also sexually harassing men. Furthermore,
nowadays we also find the same sex harassing each other, men harassing men and
women harassing women respectively.

There might be several explanations in relation to this statement. Long ago, women were
seen as second class citizens. They were victims of gender disparities and female
subordination at all levels. They were seen as poor, burdened and loaded with difficulties
in the male dominated societies. They were uneducated; hence they were not eligible for
white collar jobs. Another factor which triggers sexual harassment is the values and
customs which arise from cultural beliefs. Some cultures support the fact that men
occupy superior position than women. This highlights gender disparity which in turn,
encourages sexual harassment of women. In such situations, female victims choose to
remain silent because they know that they will never get justice. Studies show that apart
from causing economic harm, sexual harassment can also have a negative effect on the
human psychology. Victims may suffer from various complications like insomnia,
depression and loss of interest in the family.

3. Literature Review

The term ‘sexual harassment’ was initially coined in the United States during the 70s
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(Collier, 1999) and denotes the receipt of “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” (McLaughlin,
Uggen and Blackstone, 2012; p.626). Gutek and Morasch (1982) provide a theoretical
explanation into the origins of SH in the workplace based on three main roles: sex role
spill-over, power and dominance, and sexual arousal. Stockdale (1998) defines the sex
role spill-over as the “transference of gender roles to the work role”, implying that
women stereotypically embody sexual-object qualities, which is in turn reflected in the
working environment. The power and dominance role, also known as quid pro quo
harassment, refers to when the victim must submit to sexual advances in return
for favors such as a promotion and pay raise, or even to avoid being fired or downgraded
(Browne, 2006). The power and dominance role is also a main cause of retaliatory
harassment which occurs after the victim has lodged a complaint and is further harassed
or bullied as a result (TUC, 2018). Lastly, the sexual arousal role has been argued to be
intertwined with sex role and power as Lips (1991) suggests that some men have a
natural tendency to link sexual stimuli and power motives.
Additionally, this type of harassment occurs also when female employees behave in
stereotypically masculine ways (eg: assertive, aggressive, dominant) and are targeted as a
threat to male status in the workplace. Similarly, the sex-based harassment can occur to
men exhibiting stereotypically feminine behavior and take on positions predominantly
held by female employees (De Souza and Solberg, 2004). Moreover, the sex-based
harassment can lead to masculine overcompensation, which sees males exaggerating
stereotypically male behaviours to combat threats to their social standing (Willer, Rogalin
and Conlon, 2005) and provides an additional perspective as to why women in power are
harassed by men (Maass et al., 2003).

4. Objective Of The Study

The objectives that the researcher would like to achieve by conducting the research are:
 To conduct a critical review of the literature on sexual harassment at workplace
and it’s impact on the organizational operations
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 To understand the current condition at different firms regarding the presence of

sexual harassment
 To know about the impact of sexual harassment at workplace
 To identify the managerial actions different companies take to ensure an
workplace free of sexual harassment

 To have a clear understanding about the importance of training to remove sexual

Harassment at workplace.

4.1 Research Aims

The aim of the project is to identify the level of sexual harassment at workplace of
different companies and the issue’s impact on the business operation of the firm.

5. Justification And Significance Of The Study

Sexual harassment is a wrongful conduct. It should not be tolerated in the workplace.

Sexual harassment refers to unwelcoming sexual behavior. It includes physical, verbal or
non-verbal conduct of sexual nature, unwanted sexual advances, sexist remarks, demands
or requests for sexual favors and showing pornography. It is true that every individual has
the right to life, liberty and equality. Studies show that mostly women are victims of
sexual harassment and unfortunately very few seek redress and little has received
encouraging actions In this context, it is not wrong to say that laws should be designed
against sexual harassment to protect the employee from the boss, from co-workers or
even customers at work.
Prevention is the most effective way to deal with sexual harassment. Preventive measures
include adopting sexual harassment policies; provide training and establishing complaints
processes. All these together help to curb the occurrence of sexual harassment at
workplace. A company can also prevent sexual harassment by sponsoring. These training
may help employees in dealing with sexual harassment and its consequences.
Furthermore, the channel for complaints encourages victims to complain and report and
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consequently, this will discourage harassers from continuing with their unwanted
behaviours.

6. Conceptual Framework And Hypothesis

Sexual harassment at workplace is most common and the employees, both males and
females, are exposed to the behavior. Sexual harrashment can affect the organizational
effectiveness and efficiency by affecting the employee’s efficiency and effectiveness.
This research is going to be conducted with a view to exploring the current scenario in
the Companies regarding the presence of sexual harassment. Since conducting a research
on the All companies is not possible with the time limit, With the help of conducting the
research, the industry can get some insider information regarding the current condition of
sexual harassment at workplaces and how it is affecting their very own firm’s
productivity and proficiency. Some recommendations will also be made based on the
findings of the research.

6.1 Research Questions

The research questions that the researcher is intended to answer are given below:
1. What is sexual harassment and how does it affect an organization and its employees?
2. How does sexual harassment can be reduced/ removed from a business environment?
3. What managerial policies a firm can take to reduce/ remove sexual harassment?
4. How training can help a firm reducing/ removing the sexual harassment at workplace?

7. Research Methodology

Everyone uses information to make decisions about the future. If the information is
accurate, there is a high probability of making a good decision. However, if the
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information is inaccurate, our ability to make a correct decision is diminished. It is true

that better information leads to better decision. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
pragmatism are three research approaches most researchers follow in order to conduct
research. In time of qualitative research approach, a researcher attempts to collect
qualitative data whereas in case of quantitative research approach a research goes for
collecting quantifiable data. Qualitative data can be collected from a wide range of
sources whereas quantitative data scope is limited. A new approach most researchers use
in time of conducting research is mixed approach whereby both the qualitative and
quantitative data are used.
This research is going to be conducted based on the qualitative research approach. . In
time of collecting data I want to visit some companies near my location as well as
research will be done through questionnaire method. Based on the responses of the
employees, the research paper will be made. The perceptions of the employees toward the
sexual harassment and their exposure to the issue will be assessed. In time of collecting
secondary data I want to go through different secondary sources like journals, books,
yearly publications, news, etc. Based on these data collected from different secondary
sources, the research paper will be made. In this research, I will not follow the
quantitative approach since I may not find the truly quantifiable data

7.1 Data Collection Method

The scope of the research is very limited since I will collect data from limited company
and some secondary sources and thus estimate the scenario in the whole industry. This
Research is aimed at identifying the level of sexual harassment at the workplaces and
how does it affect an organization. I want to collect data from the current employees and
some secondary sources. The primary data will be collected from the employees with the
help of interview and questionnaire. Collecting data through a questionnaire is quick and
less costly as compared to their other methods of data collection. The questionnaire will
include both open ended and closed ended questions. With the inclusion of both types of
questions, the researcher can identify the judgment of the employees as well as collect the
specific data regarding the issue. The use of both types of questions will thus help the
researcher to add new dimension since open ended questions can add value to the
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research, In order to collect data from the employees I want to take a sample. The number
of employees that the researcher wants to survey is 500. Due to the business of the
employees as well as time limitation of the research, I may not collect data from more
than 500 employees. Besides this, I think that based on the responses of the 500
employees the whole scenario can be presented.

Sampling method the researcher intends to use in this research is random stratified
sampling. I want to collect data from the employees with more than 1 year of service.
Besides this, stratification will take another dimension. 300 female employees and 200
male employees will be requested to answer the questions. The use of this sampling
method will help to collect actual and trustworthy data since with the 1 year of service the
employees can understand the practices and customs within the company. To collect data
I want to meet the employees during their leisure time in possible case otherwise email
and through other source of communication The employees will be requested to answer
the questions.

7.2 Validity Of The Data Collected

During the research I intend to repeat some questions to check the validity of the
responses. This will help me to collect even more trustworthy data To ensure the validity
of the secondary data collected, I will not go for different blogs since many of those are
biased. This will help the researcher to collect even more trustworthy data. In order to
collect data regarding the policies and initiatives that different firms have been
implemented to reduce the sexual harassment at the workplace, the researcher wants to go
through the reports and financial statements published by the respective company.

7.3 Ethics And Access Of The Research

The privacy of the respondents will be ensured first. The respondents may provide wrong
information with the fear of being exposed to firing or retaliation. I also want to
collect data in a very modest way. Respondents who are willing to provide information
welcomed to help in doing research.
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8. Limitations Of The Study

A research needs to be conducted with higher focus on quality and trustworthiness of the
results. In this case, I want conduct the research with the adequate funds and times to
Ensure the collection and analysis of relevant data. This research is going to be conducted
with limited fund which is the first limitation of the research. At the same time, limited
timeframe to conduct the research can be considered as a major drawback. I also lack the
Required knowledge and experience to conduct a research of such importance. Despite
this approach being the most suited to this type of research, it is more inflexible, making
interpretation less obvious compared to the inductive approach. Secondly, although the
paper uses relevant secondary data obtained from professional sources, if any facts used
to draw key conclusions is discredited in the future, the recommendations derived from
this research will lack validity. Additionally, collecting secondary data could only result
in using outdated sources to develop this research, and hence, affect the validity of this
paper over time

9. Expected Output And Results

Indeed, this research is going to be beneficial for a large segment of people. First of all, it
will be highly relevant to the working population, both from the public and private
sectors. As we have seen earlier, we are targeting employees from all possible companies.
They will be given a broader view of what sexual harassment actually is, how and why it
occurs and also how to combat it effectively. Furthermore, it is also going to be very
relevant to future working populations, that is, to university students who will soon be
graduating and eventually having their first steps in employment. Indeed, being new and
inexperienced, these fresh graduates normally take some time to adapt to the working
environment. Additionally, if they have problems relating to sexual harassment, the first
option that they will consider is to resign from their jobs. But this is surely not the best
solution. Instead, if they should be taught to better understand the issue and how to curb it
within the working environment.
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10. Time Schedule And Budgeting

The proposed research program will be schedule for two months. Details research
schedule is presented in the table below:
Time / 1-10 days 10-20 20-30 days 30-40 days 40-50 50-60 days
work days days
Literature …………
review and …
general study …………
…
…………
…

Field work ………….. ………… ……………

and Data ………….. … ……………
Collection ………….. ………… ……………
…
…………
…
Research ………….. ………….. ………….. …………..
study and ………….. ………….. ………….. …………..
Data ………….. ………….. …………... …………..
Interpretatio
n
Report ………….
Writing ………….

Budgeting:
The tentative amount required to carry out the proposed study is presented below:
S.N DISCRIPTION AMOUNT IN Rs.
1 Research materials 10,000
2 Stationary and Maps 7,000
3 Field Equipments 10,000
4 Logistics 13,000
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5 Report Printing 5,000

6 Total 45,000

11. Recommendations and Conclusion

Building upon the literature review and analysis, this section provides pragmatic
solutions for employers to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace. In the short-term,
these could help businesses in dealing with sexual harassment cases, whilst in the long-
term these could contribute to re-shaping the culture of a company and prevent sexual
harassment from occurring. companies may start working towards reducing sexual
harassment in the workplace in order to benefit their corporate image, as in the case of
‘modern’ corporate social responsibility. However, until companies truly engage with the
topic of sexual harassment with the sole aim of safeguarding their employee interests
rather than public image, profound changes are unlikely to occur.
The recommendations are the following:
1) Training employees on providing negative reinforcement to colleagues.

2) Remove the arbitration clauses in employment contracts.

3) Hiring a third-party company that deals with sexual harassment claims.

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12. References:

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/147837302.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333996151_An_Exploratory_Research_into_th
e_Causes_Consequences_and_Patterns_Regarding_Sexual_Harassment_in_the_Workpla
ce_in_the_US_Technology_Industry_Proposals_for_Change

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sociology/a-review-of-sexual-harassment-in-the-
workplace-sociology-essay.php