Sensemaking, organizational culture, and sexual harassment

• Published in: Journal of Applied Communication Research Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 293 - 317
• Main Authors: Dougherty, Debbie, Smythe, Mary Jeanette
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Annandale Taylor & Francis 01-11-2004; Taylor & Francis Group Journals; National Communication Association
• Subjects: Humor; Organizational Culture; Organizations; Sensemaking; Sexual Harassment; Whites
• ISSN: 0090-9882; 1479-5752
• DOI: 10.1080/0090988042000275998

While EEOC guidelines for managing sexual harassment prescribe a strong sexual harassment policy and aggressive remedial action following complaints, a communication approach suggests a need for a more complex understanding of sexual harassment as diffused throughout an organizational culture. The present case study uses a sensemaking approach to explore the response of members of an academic department to an alumnus donor's serial sexual harassment of three of its members. Sensemaking proceeded through three phases: the phase of discovery, the debriefing phase, and the dispersal phase. Insights into the role of humor, white men, shared experiences, and responding to sexual harassment are discussed.