Organizational Change: Where Have All the Leaders Gone When Creating Anti-Harassment Cultures

Abstract

Media coverage of recent high-profile sexual harassment scandals and subsequent #MeToo publicity confirms that sexual harassment continues to plague corporate cultures. Organizations have previously relied on professional training and policy creations to address workplace misconduct. These initiatives are primarily predicated on legal and compliance efforts to reduce misconduct and maintain more harassment free environments. Even with calls from regulatory agencies and media coverage, corporate cultures do not appear to have changed. This exploratory investigation suggests that organizations continue to rely on established methods of addressing sexual harassment and should utilize behavioral modeling to improve corporate cultures. Ideas forwarded within this paper will begin discussions regarding the use of behavioral modeling by leaders to solidify improved anti-harassment cultures.