Workplace Harassment & Organizational Liability: Application of Situational Crime Prevention Techniques as Deterrence

Workplace harassment with its serious consequences is a persistent workplace problem for individuals and organizations. Varying from physical health problems to emotional dilemmas, harassment takes a toll on victims whereas organizations suffer as well, with its effects in the form of turnover, low job satisfaction, reduced commitment and absenteeism. Therefore, all such initiatives that prevent this negative workplace behavior are crucial for the effective working of the organizations. This paper uses Clarke’s situational crime prevention techniques as an anti-harassment framework however it presents a sixth technique that needs to be followed by organizations if they effectively want to combat harassment i.e. grooming of transformational leaders. The situational crime prevention framework developed by Clarke put significant importance on physical security. Whereas the anti-harassment framework presented in this paper is mainly focused on administrative systems of vigilance, governance and guidance. The current study proposes that organizations can get the benefit of placing the situational crime prevention framework if they increase awareness among their leaders that how their behaviors significantly affect their employees in the workplace. Organizations need to understand that a long-term proactive perspective that enhances social relations is needed to promote a harassment-free environment at the workplace.