Sexual Assault in the C-Suite: Spot Professional Predators

Sexual harassment occurs on the street and in the C-Suite, yet there is a vast difference in reporting. Unequal workplace dynamics that emphasize power differentials between perpetrators and victims are most likely to create an environment of nonreporting when the predator is the boss. But there is more to the story. Research explains.

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Corporate Culture: Good People, Bad Behavior

Tuyen K. Dinh et al. (2002), in a piece entitled “When ‘Good People’ Sexually Harass,” examined the role of power and moral licensing on the intent to sexually harass, as well as the perception of such behavior.[i] Exploring a responsibility-focused form of power on sexual harassment perceptions and intentions, they provided a method of viewing sexual harassment through a novel lens instead of focusing on negative characterizations of harassment perpetrators.

They recognize that even people who wield power responsibly to protect other people are not immune from the temptation to engage in bad behavior, including sexual harassment. They use the examples of the #MeToo movement-era “heroes” who fell from grace, including “America’s Dad” Bill Cosby, former United States gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, and renowned radio host Garrison Keillor.

Dinh et al. studied how “good people” who appeared to personify responsibility-focused power by using their position to benefit other people could be motivated to harass others and then be excused for it. They found that such people “licensed themselves” to engage in sexual harassment, and people perceiving their conduct morally licensed it—even among different brands of harassers. They found that the “prototypical predaceous, egocentric,” self-focused powerholder was easier to identify, but the less prototypical powerholder, who exemplifies responsibility-focused power and feels warm and caring feelings toward others, was also licensed to harass.

Regarding the mechanics of sexual misbehavior, Dinh et al. note that organizational leaders and supervisors often find themselves surrounded by the “trappings of power,” such as control of resources, the ability to evaluate others, as well as physical power symbols such as bigger offices. At the same time, many of these powerholders also experience a duty to mentor, support, and provide guidance for their employees, which activates a conscious responsibility motive. Taken together, some powerholders view themselves and are perceived by others as exuding responsibility and morality. But because their power “disinhibits hedonic goal seeking,” they may also engage in immoral behavior, such as sexual exploitation.

Policing the Powerful Predator

C-Suite sexual predation is predictable and preventable. Policies and practices to encourage reporting and hold offenders accountable can include the following:

Be Proactive Through Policy: Executive new hires understand the power of policy. Rules and regulations are viewed and signed by all employees in most workplace settings during the onboarding process. This contractual obligation motivates many workers to play by the rules, streamlines discipline, and discourages bad behavior.

Role-Model Reporting: The #MeToo movement opened the floodgates of sexual victimization disclosure through the process of safety in numbers. Corporate employees should be familiar with reporting procedures for victims as well as witnesses, including the expectation that if they “see something,” they should say something.

Corner Office Justice: Employees should feel confident that corporate policies level the playing field, ensuring supervisors reclining in corner offices are not emboldened through policy preferences. Lady Justice is blind; human relations employees are also when deliberating discipline.

Creating proactive policies emphasizing that allegations will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly, regardless of the status, clout, or position of the alleged perpetrator, will help prevent sexual misconduct in the C-Suite, creating a more productive and positive workplace environment for everyone.