Date of Award

2024

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Awarded

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Communication

Faculty Advisor

Walden, Justin

Description

Sexual harassment is often vaguely defined in policy and the purpose of this study was to learn if employees perceive sexual harassment in vague or specific terms. Exploring radio broadcasting employees was a new area of exploration for the multiple ways employees may identify with their employer: professional, organizational, and group identification (Lammers, Atouba, & Carlson, 2013). For this study I primarily drew on interviews with 17 radio broadcasting employees about sexual harassment definitions and employee identification (profession, organization, and group). A survey instrument was used to collect demographic data and to collect baseline data for identification. Results show that interviewees define sexual harassment, and the communicative behaviors that could be perceived as harassing, in vague or non-specific terms, like policy, as well as in specific terms. Interviewees also conflate terms like bullying or discrimination, with sexual harassment. Radio broadcasting employees in this study identified with their work in multiple ways. Although some identified most strongly with the profession, organization, or group, the majority identified with a combination, all, or none. The way employees view sexual harassment with their primary identification appears to be dependent on how they see reports of sexual harassment treated.

Rights

NDSU policy 190.6.2

Rights Link

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Handle Identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/33953

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