Discussion Questions Week of 8/2

Response to #1

In “Is Redemption Possible in the Aftermath of #MeToo” by Tovia Smith, a reporter at NPR, difficult questions regarding the reintegration of men who are accused of being predators and a part of the #MeToo movement are examined. The author notes that it has been two years since the #MeToo movement began to gain media attention as a result of Harvey Weinstein and stated that it is time to question whether or not some individuals are worthy of returning to society.

Smith presents the question of when the men guilty of their crimes should be allowed back into society. Through interviewing activists like Taran Burke, lawyers, and ethicists, Smith presents a compelling argument of what needs to be further examined. To eliminate sexual violence in the workplace, we must focus on undoing the harm that the perpetrators have accomplished. Undoing their harm, according to others can only be accomplished through rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Determining whether or not these individuals can return to society depends on the gravity of the crime at hand. Various elements such as the seriousness of the offense,  sincerity of the apology, and restitution to the victims are just some things that need to be examined.

This question that Smith presents to the reader is an extremely valuable one. In a world where one scandal replaces the next, it is important to understand that the perpetrators of sexual crimes in the workplace these past two years cannot be let off the hook. Factors that determine whether or not these individuals are still menaces in society must be examined, as not everyone can be rehabilitated. The article however states that through therapy and rehabilitation, change is possible, and we need to aim to reintegrate these individuals into society. This thankfully is not as easy as it seems. Organizations understand the weight that the #MeToo movement carries and the reputations that these perpetrators carry around with them. Therefore, it isn’t easy and most of them won’t be able to obtain a job that they previously held due to questions surrounding the organization’s reputation and liability.

This source adds a tremendous amount of value to Wynn’s article. The article “Individual Change Won’t Create Gender Equality in Organizations” addresses the issue of female underrepresentation in the tech industry, with only 25% of jobs being held by women. The toxic workplace culture creates an environment that does not support female leaders, instead, fostering one where sexual harassment is deemed somewhat normal. Along with this, the article examines the idea that change doesn’t occur on an individual level, however, a transition into a workplace that promotes equality can only be accomplished through organizational change. Smith’s article on the #MeToo movement examines what steps society needs to take as a whole towards rehabilitating perpetrators. It is not something that can only be accomplished by themselves, rather the justice system, therapists, the perpetrators, and regular individuals need to recognize the role that they have in creating an environment that does not tolerate SA.

             Both articles, in summary, recognize that change needs to happen on a larger scale. Changing one individual through classes does not promote change. Changing the way that society as a whole approach various issues creates long-term change and hopefully prevents incidents like this from occurring in the future or being seen as normal.

Response to #2

Leaders who want to gain a new perspective on how to promote positive change in their organization would benefit the most from Wynn’s article. This includes HR reps (more specifically, talent acquisition groups), managers, and people who have the ability to act to change their organization. This includes CEOs and COOs. Wynn wants the steps and the issues addressed within the article to be applied to every industry, as she believes that the framework can be applied to every organization to promote equality.

HR reps are an important target group for this article because for the steps that she lays out for organizational change, they are all directed towards HR responsibilities. For the first two elements, recruiting and hiring, those are often done by the talent acquisition department which is why  I stated that they are a more specific target audience than just HR representatives. Giving HR representatives clear, well laid out steps on how to approach the issue of equality in the workplace allows for HR to address equality in the workplace. Furthermore, Wynn addresses that organizations not only pursue equality related to gender, but for all types.

One of the main points that Wynn also makes in her article is the idea that we cannot blame society, or ourselves, for all causes of inequality, as “It may be easier to think of individualistic solutions- such as training ourselves to think differently and change our own behavior- or to blame larger societal forces we can’t control, rather than to change the intricate organizational procedures and practices that contribute to employment outcomes in complex ways. However, my research suggests that we must address organizational forms of inequality as well” . This is where she targets CEOs, COOs, and managers as well.

It is important that in the leadership positions  in the organization accept fault on areas where they are lacking or fail to live up to expectations on equality. In order to promote change within the organization, understanding the shortcomings of the organizations will prove critical in creating the change necessary to create for an equal opportunity, safe environment. Managers that recognize their organizations lack equality are able to create an environment where change is possible. They have the ability to control the way that the organization approaches issues of equality or procedures.  This is why I believe that she is mainly targeting leaders within the organization, because they have the ability to change the organizations procedures, and culture.

If you really think about the message that Wynn is trying to send to the reader, she is really just targeting anyone that is a part of an organization. She recognizes that although one person might not spark change in an organization, if you have a collective group of people within that organization that promote the idea of changing certain procedures, then an organization may be able to change. Therefore, Wynn is targeting pretty much anyone that is in an organization in my opinion.