Running head: CASE STUDY: HARASSMENT AT BRADEMORE ELECTRIC

Harassment at Brademore Electric
Albert Balogun
California Baptist University
BUS 520A: Managerial Ethics
Jim Bishop, PhD
June 16, 2010

Harassment at Brademore Electric The purpose of this paper is to analyze briefly key issues involved in sexual harassment in workplaces using a case study titled ‘Harassment at Bradmore Electric’ as the basis of the analysis. Prior to analyzing the case study, a brief definition and description of sexual harassment is deemed necessary. Cases and reported incidence of sexual harassments have become rampant and escalating in workplaces and in educational settings. This phenomenon continues to give increasing concerns to organizations today because of the attendant costs which, in many cases, may be staggering. These costs to organizations could arise from litigation costs to prosecute or defend allegations of harassment, payment of damages that may be awarded against an organization. There exist other less obvious costs that the organization may incur and which may have severe impact on organizational resources and operations. These hidden costs may be in form of employee(s) low morale, labor turnover, decreased productivity and efficiency, and poor public image (Terpstra & Baker, 1986). Sexual harassment can be described as a form of discrimination against women, and sometimes also against men in workplaces and educational places (Powell, 1983). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defined sexual harassment as “unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” in its guideline issued in 1980 wherein sexual harassment was stated to be a violation Title VII of the CIVIL Rights Act of 1960 (EEOC, 1980). The lack of general