An exploratory study of sexual harassment in Pakistani organizations

Abstract

Despite prior research on the influence of national regulatory and cultural factors on sexual harassment (SH) at the workplace, few studies have examined SH, its impact on victims and redress processes in Muslim majority countries (MMCs) such as Pakistan. This study uses neo-institutional theory to develop a more comprehensive framework to explore SH experienced by women at the workplace in Pakistan. Qualitative methodology is adopted to examine employees' and managers' perceptions of SH. Drawing on interviews with working women and human resource managers in six Pakistani organisations, the study demonstrates that even when there are formal policies designed to prevent SH, cultural factors influence policy implementation. It reveals that there is a tension between traditional culture and behaviour consistent with SH policies in the workplace. The study identifies three major factors which influence SH redressal; these are socio-cultural factors (e.g. female modesty), institutional factors (e.g. inappropriate redress procedures), and managerial expertise/ bias.

A relational understanding of work-life balance of Muslim migrant women in the west: future research agenda

“…This may be attributed not only to the style of work, which is arguably geared toward Western social and capitalist norms, but also to home, where traditional expectations of women as homemakers remain as common practice (Ali and Kramar 2015;Bradley et al, 2005).…”

Sexual harassment training effectiveness: An interdisciplinary review and call for research

“…Employer‐provided sexual harassment (SH) training is ubiquitous in the American workplace (Perry, Kulik, Bustamante, & Golom, ) and is becoming increasing common in many other countries as a result of international regulatory developments (e.g., Ali & Kramer, ). It is estimated that U.S. employers alone spend over 10 billion dollars annually on SH training (Goldberg, ).…”

Underrepresentation of Women at Academic Excellence and Position of Power: Role of Harassment and Glass Ceiling

“…In Pakistan, women who hold low organizational influence, are allegedly more frequent targets of discrimination [98] [99] and harassment at work places [79] [97] [100].…”

“…reported accounts includes staring, sexual comments, molestation and forms of unwanted physical contact, [33] [36] [42] [101]. It is also observed that (87%) Pakistani female university students are reported to be harassed frequently at the cafeterias, classrooms and even in Professor's offices [98] [102], it is also reported female teachers are also frequently harassed in academic institutes [8] [103].…”