Why sexual harassment programs backfire and what to do about it? / Frank Dobbin, Alexandra Kalev

Since the 1970s most U.S. organizations have sought to address sexual harassment (or to protect themselves from being sued because of it) with mandatory training programs and formal grievance procedures. Nevertheless, some 40% of women still say that they’ve been sexually harassed at work—a number unchanged since the 1980s. On the basis of their study of more than 800 U.S. companies, the authors recommend bystander awareness and manager training, which enlist all trainees in the effort to address harassment. And they argue that formal grievance procedures should be supplemented with voluntary dispute resolution and an ombuds office that can handle harassment claims on victims’ terms.

Business.