Sexual harassment training: Recommendations to address gaps between the practitioner and research literatures

Abstract

Sexual harassment training is a common human resource activity, and the practitioner literature is replete with advice about how to implement it. Little research, however, has specifi cally explored what makes sexual harassment training effective. This paper uses what we know from general training research and theory and sexual harassment research to assess the extent to which the practitioner literature is making relevant and reasonable recommendations for sexual harassment training. We identify practitioner-research gaps in the literature, including areas that academic research and theory sug-Keywords: sexual harassment, training effectiveness, practitioner-research gaps M anaging sexual harassment in the workplace is an important issue for human resource (HR) managers. Sexual harassment can create physical and psychological difficulties for victims (Fitzgerald, Drasgow, Hulin, Gelfand, & Magley, 1997) and, if left unmanaged, can also result in high costs (in terms of absenteeism, turnover, and reduced productivity). It can also cause legal headaches for organizations (Faley, Knapp, Kustis, & Dubois, 1999;Pearson, 1997). A common approach to dealing with sexual harassment in organizations is to provide sexual harassment training. Sexual harassment training is Correspondence to: Elissa L. Perry, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, Phone: (212) Fax: (212) 678-8303, E-mail: ep248@columbia.edu 818 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2009Human Resource Management DOI: 10.1002/hrm quickly moving from an optional activity to a legally advisable one (Bisom-Rapp, 2001;Martucci & Lu, 2005). In fact, a number of states require employers to provide sexual harassment training (Martucci & Lu, 2005). In response to greater demands for such training, a multibillion-dollar sexual harassment training industry has developed (Bisom-Rapp, 2001).Sexual harassment training may be a particularly difficult type of organizational training for HR managers to design and implement. Sexual harassment training addresses emotionally laden issues, and trainees may be resistant to receiving it (Jackson, 1999). The costs associated with implementing ineffective sexual harassment training can be quite high. Ineffective training programs may fail to reduce sexual harassment and result in backlash from intended recipients of the training. Ironically, these effects make organizations more vulnerable to legal action than the absence of training. For example, at least one employee was so upset by his organization's sexual harassment training that he brought a sexual harassment suit against his employer (Bisom-Rapp, 2001).In addition, providing training may create a false sense of security that something is being done about sexual harassment, leaving real organizational problems unaddressed (Bisom-Rapp, 2001). As more states mandate sexual harassment training, greater attention will likely be given to the content and nature of the training provided. For example, some legal experts have no...

A meta‐analytic evaluation of diversity training outcomes

“…Building on the theoretical foundations developed in diversity research, we seek to increase our understanding of diversity training effects by considering also theory and research on training, on attitudes, and on attitude change and prior attempts to integrate this research with diversity training. Organizations rarely conduct in‐depth evaluations of their diversity training interventions (Hite & McDonald, ; Perry et al, ; Rynes & Rosen, ). Often, social and political pressures dictate the extent to which training is evaluated (Gutiérrez, Kruzich, Jones, & Coronado, ; Lynch, ).…”

“…Consistent with this multiple‐outcome approach to evaluation, researchers conducting narrative literature reviews of diversity training have reported evidence of beneficial results for attitude, knowledge, and skill‐based change although these results are not consistent (Curtis & Dreachslin, ; Engberg, ; Kulik & Roberson, ; Paluck & Green, ; Perry et al, ). The most common outcome evaluated within diversity training is affective based (Curtis & Dreachslin, ), but research results are mixed.…”

“…Recently, researchers have shifted away from a main‐effects model (which research results typically failed to support) to more sophisticated conceptualizations of why and when diversity training works (Kulik & Roberson, ; van Knippenberg & Schippers, ). For example, researchers have conducted numerous narrative literature reviews (Curtis & Dreachslin, ; Engberg, ; Kulik & Roberson, ; Paluck & Green, ; Perry, Kulik, & Field, ). These have focused to a greater extent on attitude change than on skill‐based or knowledge change.…”

The direct and indirect effects of organizational tolerance for sexual harassment on the effectiveness of sexual harassment investigation training for HR managers

“…An organization's tolerance for sexual harassment contributes to sexual harassment and likely plays a role in the effectiveness of sexual harassment training. In particular, Perry et al (:821) argued that, “Employees' perceptions that the organization tolerates sexual harassment are likely to reduce the effectiveness of sexual harassment training and may also reduce their motivation to participate in training. Such climates may create perceived and actual obstacles that limit trainees' ability to transfer what is learned in the training (e.g., how to respond to sexual harassment) back to the job.” For the HR managers in charge of investigating and managing claims of sexual harassment, OTSH may signal that this aspect of a HR manager's job is not important or even discouraged by the organization, which should lead to a lack of motivation to learn how to complete these tasks effectively.…”

“…Relatively little research has explored the effectiveness of sexual harassment training in general (Perry, Kulik, & Field, ; Rawski, ). Furthermore, no research to date has investigated the effectiveness of sexual harassment investigation training for HR managers, despite the prominent role they play in managing this behavior in the workplace.…”