Can Respectful Employees Create Equitable Institutions? Promoting a Culture of Respect in the Higher Education Workplace

Abstract

This paper describes challenges to changing the culture around yellow zone sexual harassment in the higher education workplace. The yellow zone comprises harassment that is often undetected or misunderstood but nonetheless is harmful. Based on a random sample, we surveyed 4554 staff and faculty at a large Midwestern university after they completed a mandatory online training module, assessing perceptions of sexual harassment, reactions to the training, and workplace personal experiences. Findings are that a majority of respondents know where to report incidents and that the training improved knowledge about sexual and gender-based harassment. However, almost half reported problematic workplace experiences.