legal specifics regarding sexual harassment law B u s i n e s s F i n a n c e

Scenario 1: Sexual Harassment Prevention and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

You are a consultant at McClendon Dynamics who specializes in employment legal compliance and DEI strategy formulation, work that includes assisting employers in ensuing compliance across an array of workplace non-discrimination laws. Much of your consulting work in recent years has focused on assisting client firms in sexual harassment prevention program development. More recently, you have expanded this work to include assisting organizations in the development and implementation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs.

The management team at a medium-sized regional bank (450 employees) has selected McClendon Dynamics to assist the firm in developing a sexual harassment prevention program. The firm is also interested in the possibility of implementing a broader Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy. You have been assigned to work with this client. You will be meeting soon with the senior leadership team at the bank. The organization does not currently have any formal sexual harassment prevention program, nor does the management team know any of the legal specifics regarding sexual harassment law and the firm’s potential legal responsibilities. In your meeting you will want to (1) educate the management team regarding the legal basics of sexual harassment, including what constitutes sexual harassment in the workplace, the relevant law and legal precedents related to sexual harassment, and how the firm should go about establishing an effective sexual harassment prevention strategy. And given the firm has expressed an interest in developing a DEI strategy, you will (2) need to discuss briefly the keys to an effective DEI strategy. As such, what will you say the firm should consider with respect to a D&I program, including the rationale for a DEI strategy as well as the keys to an effective program, should it implement one?

SCENARIO 2: Process Improvement and Engagement)

You are a consultant who specializes in quality improvement process, job design, and building employee engagement. You are now advising a firm which wishes to undertake a strategic effort to achieve higher quality and better customer service. This represents a first-time effort and the employees have performed narrowly defined roles. Although there is a suggestion box, it is never used and there has not been any expectation of employee input to continuous process improvement. As such, this will require leadership for a big change. As part of the implementation of its process improvement effort, the firm hopes to engender greater employee engagement. Based on your RESEARCH, what general advice will you have for the firm regarding its decision to implement (or not) a continuous improvement process, one that includes a desire for greater employee engagement? What will you advise the firm regarding any implications this strategy may have for its employment/HR practices? What implications may this change have (if it occurs) regarding the firm’s thinking about the role of intrinsic motivation and intrinsic rewards?