Hong Kong and New Orleans

Abstract

The headline reads, “$3.25 million verdict against restaurant for employee who worked in fear of sexual harassment.” Settlements and verdicts such as this are becoming increasingly common and the restaurant industry worldwide will have to address this issue of sexual harassment. A major problem facing all the restaurant industry is sexual harassment and the explosion of the number of sexual harassment lawsuits being filed (Agrusa, Tanner, & Coats 2000). Today's Hong Kong is a world-class city where the east meets the west. To be successful in today's competitive restaurant market, it is important for managers to realize the significance of a sexual harassment-free work environment. It is also important to understand how employees feel about the issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the perceptions of restaurant employees in Hong Kong and New Orleans on sexual harassment. As the cost of litigation and the dol-