The case of Otto May Jr. illustrates the extent of an organization’s ethical responsibility to its employees. Just as an organization is legally required to create and maintain a safe physical working environment, an organization is similarly expected to create and maintain a safe psychological and social environment. Chrysler’s organizational culture at the time of May’s employment epitomizes the concept of the “hostile work environment.” The United States Equal Opportunity Commission (2018) explicitly defines the hostile work environment in terms of harassment of employees, noting situations in which the employer is to be held liable. Business leaders should focus less on the legal or fiscal ramifications of harassment suits, and more interested in creating an organizational culture and climate that promotes employee success and empowerment. Companies like Chrysler risk losing star talent if they continue to tacitly condone harassment or perpetuate hostile work environments due to weak leadership.

Chrysler certainly should have been held accountable for enabling the organizational culture. A hostile work environment is characterized by “unlawful harassing conduct” and therefore subject to prosecution (United States Department of Labor, 2018). To avoid legal disputes, companies need to focus on preventative strategies including major organizational structure and cultural changes. Leaders need to spearhead programs that empower employees to speak out against any form of harassment or hostility in the workplace, while also encouraging human resources to play a more active role in weeding out problematic employees during the hiring process and when considering leadership development strategies. Punitive measures may not always be successful at uprooting hostile behaviors, given that many of the problematic behaviors are deeply embedded in social and cultural norms. Furthermore, many of the persons implicated in cases like that of Otto May are themselves in positions of power—managers and leaders who view themselves as being above reproach because of their title and status in the company. Therefore, senior managers always need to remain vigilant and willing to systematically confront the normative culture that perpetuates harassment in the workplace.

References

United States Department of Labor (2018). What do I need to know about workplace harassment.

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2018). Harassment. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/harassment.cfm