Julia Miller (A): Managing Sexual Misconduct

This case is divided into three parts (A, B, and C) which allow the student to progressively analyze a sexual misconduct situation from the perspective of the victim. The case is designed for courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It is suitable for courses in leadership, human resources management, and organizational behaviour, as well as specialized electives in equity, diversity, and inclusion.

In any of the above courses, this case works best when tied to material related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. It should not be placed early in a semester, when students might not yet be comfortable addressing sensitive material—such as the incidents discussed in the case—with their classmates. The case explores several complex ethical issues from the perspectives of the organization, the victim, and bystanders. Therefore, it can be used in a business ethics course in which the intent is to apply an ethical framework to the decision-making process.

After working through all three parts of this case and the assignment questions, students will be able to

• explain how organizational culture and power dynamics influence sexual misconduct in organizations;
• identify a spectrum of sexual misconduct, and why a common understanding of the terminology is important in organizations;
• analyze how messaging from senior leaders influences employee behaviour related to sexual misconduct; and
• evaluate how effectively different types of sexual misconduct policies reduce the prevalence of sexual misconduct.