Abstract
This chapter explores the potential for social dialogue to create and sustain safe and inclusive workplaces for all. It focuses on harassment associated with a social group or status characteristic such as sex and race and argues for the need for this to be addressed for not just legal and business reasons but also for moral ones. These moral reasons are grounded in the need to understand harassment as a social and collective problem, rather than an individual one. Positioning harassment in a social, rather than just interpersonal context, the chapter explores the potential and limits of bipartite social dialogue for setting and enforcing standards around harassment. There is a particular focus on the implications of privatizing and personalizing problems through the use of private mechanisms such as workplace mediation.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Baker, C. N. (2008). The women’s movement against sexual harassment. Cambridge University Press.
Benavides-Espinoza, C., & Cunningham, G. B. (2010). Bystanders’ reactions to sexual harassment. Sex Roles, 63(3–4), 201–213.
Bennett, T. (2010). Exploring the potential of the union equality representative. Employee Relations, 32(5), 509–525.
Bennett, T. (2014). The role of workplace mediation: A critical assessment. Personnel Review, 43(5), 764–779.
Bingham, L. B. (2004). Employment dispute resolution: The case for mediation. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 22(1–2), 145–174.
Bleiman, D. (2008). Should I try mediation? A discussion paper for trade union members.
Bollen, K., Euwema, M., & Munduate, L. (Eds.). (2016). Advancing workplace mediation through integration of theory and practice. Springer International Publishing.
Branney, V. (2016). Workplace mediation and UK trade unions: The missing link? In R. Saundry, P. Latreille, & I. Ashman (Eds.), Reframing resolution: Innovation and change in the management of workplace conflict (pp. 191–214). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Chua, R. Y. (2013). The costs of ambient cultural disharmony: Indirect intercultural conflicts in social environment undermine creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 56(6), 1545–1577.
Colling, T. (2006). What space for unions on the floor of rights? Trade unions and the enforcement of statutory individual employment rights. Industrial Law Journal, 35(2), 140–160.
Colvin, A. (2016). Conflict and employment relations in the individual rights era. In D. Lipsky, A. Avgar, & R. Lamare (Eds.), Managing and resolving workplace conflict (Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations) (Vol. 22, pp. 1–30). Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Dickens, L. (1999). Beyond the business case: A three-pronged approach to equality action. Human Resource Management Journal, 9(1), 9–19.
Ertel, M., Stilijanow, U., Iavicoli, S., Natali, E., Jain, A., & Leka, S. (2010). European social dialogue on psychosocial risks at work: Benefits and challenges. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 16(2), 169–183.
ETUC, BUSINESSEUROPE, UEAPME, & CEEP. (2007). Framework agreement on harassment and violence at work. Signed by the European Social Partners on 26 April 2007.
Eurofound. (2015). Violence and harassment in European workplaces: Causes, impacts and policies. Dublin.
Fredman, S. (2011). Discrimination law (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Guillaume, Y. R., Dawson, J. F., Otaye-Ebede, L., Woods, S. A., & West, M. A. (2017). Harnessing demographic differences in organizations: What moderates the effects of workplace diversity? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(2), 276–303.
Harrington, S., Rayner, C., & Warren, S. (2012). Too hot to handle? Trust and human resource practitioners’ implementation of anti-bullying policy. Human Resource Management Journal, 22(4), 392–408.
Healy, G., Kirton, G., & Noon, M. (2011). Inequalities, intersectionality and equality and diversity initiatives. The conundrums and challenges of researching equality, inequalities and diversity. In G. Healy, G. Kirton and M. Noon (Eds.) Equality, Inequalities and Diversity. Contemporary Challenges and Strategies (pp. 1–17). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hepple, B. (2013). Back to the future: Employment law under the Coalition government. Industrial Law Journal, 42(3), 203–223.
Hoel, H., & Einarsen, S. (2011). Investigating complaints of bullying and harassment. In S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D. Zapf, & C. Cooper (Eds.), Bullying and harassment in the workplace: Developments in theory, research and practice (2nd Ed., pp. 341–357). Florida: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis.
Hoque, K., & Bacon, N. (2014). Unions, joint regulation and workplace equality policy and practice in Britain: Evidence from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey. Work, Employment & Society, 28(2), 265–284.
Jehn, K. A., Northcraft, G. B., & Neale, M. A. (1999). Why differences make a difference: A field study of diversity, conflict and performance in workgroups. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(4), 741–763.
Keashly, L., & Nowell, B. (2011). Conflict, conflict resolution and bullying. In S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D. Zapf, & C. Cooper (Eds.), Bullying and harassment in the workplace: Developments in theory, research and practice (2nd ed., pp. 423–446). Florida: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis.
Lipsky, D., Avgar, A., & Lamare, J. (2016). The evolution of conflict management policies in US corporations: From reactive to strategic. In R. Saundry, P. Latreille, & I. Ashman (Eds), Reframing resolution: Innovation and change in the management of workplace conflict (pp. 219–314). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Marginson, P. (2015). Coordinated bargaining in Europe: From incremental corrosion to frontal assault? European Journal of Industrial Relations, 21(2), 97–114.
Monks, J., de Buck, P., Benassi, A., & Plassmann, R. (2008). Implementation of the European autonomous framework agreement on work-related stress. Report by European social partners adopted at the Social Dialogue Committee on June 18, 2008.
Noon, M. (2007). The fatal flaws of diversity and the business case for ethnic minorities. Work, Employment & Society, 21(4), 773–784.
O’Sullivan, M., Turner, T., Kennedy, M., & Wallace, J. (2015). Is individual employment law displacing the role of trade unions? Industrial Law Journal, 44(2), 222–245.
Oswick, C. (2011). The social construction of diversity, equality and inclusion. An exploration of academic and public discourses. In G. Healy, G. Kirton, & M. Noon (Eds.), Equality, inequalities and diversity. Contemporary challenges and strategies (pp. 18–36). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Raver, J. L., & Nishii, L. H. (2010). Once, twice, or three times as harmful? Ethnic harassment, gender harassment, and generalized workplace harassment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(2), 236.
Riley, R., Metcalf, H., & Forth, J. (2013). The business case for equal opportunities. Industrial Relations Journal, 44(3), 216–239.
Roberge, M. É., & Van Dick, R. (2010). Recognizing the benefits of diversity: When and how does diversity increase group performance? Human Resource Management Review, 20(4), 295–308.
Roche, W. K., & Teague, P. (2012). The growing importance of workplace ADR. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(3), 447–458.
Saundry, R., McArdle, L., & Thomas, P. (2013). Reframing workplace relations? Conflict resolution and mediation in a primary care trust. Work, Employment & Society, 27(2), 213–231.
Stuart, M., Martínez Lucio, M., & Robinson, A. (2011). ‘Soft regulation’ and the modernisation of employment relations under the British Labour Government (1997–2010): Partnership, workplace facilitation and trade union change. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(18), 3794–3812.
Van Wanrooy, B., Bewley, H., Bryson, A., Forth, J., Freeth, S., Stokes, L., et al. (2014). The 2011 workplace employment relations study. First findings (4th ed.). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Deakin, R. (2017). A Safe Place for All: Social Dialogue and Workplace Harassment. In: Arenas, A., Di Marco, D., Munduate, L., Euwema, M. (eds) Shaping Inclusive Workplaces Through Social Dialogue. Industrial Relations & Conflict Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66393-7_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66393-7_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-66392-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-66393-7
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)