Cartwright Porter Regional Airport Simulation

Cartwright Porter Regional Airport Simulation

Introduction

Organizations, not unlike the Cartwright Porter Regional Airport, are tasked with unifying their employees, safeguarding them from sexual harassment and providing them with timely feedback and performance appraisals. To accomplish these tasks, an organization must take care to ensure that no divisions occur due to perceived special treatment to specific labor categories. They must also work hard to write up an effective sexual harassment policy in order to safeguard their employees. Finally, they need to set up a performance appraisal system that ties directly into the organization's size and specific industry.

Effect of Targeted Activities

When an organization creates a set of specific activities which are targeted at a small group within the organization, a division amongst the ranks may occur. In the case of Cartwright Porter Regional Airport simulation, it became necessary to change many of the airport's existing policies in order to accommodate an influx of travelers. This increase directly affected a specific labor category- the luggage handlers. This was due to a proportionately large increase of luggage that accompanies the influx of travelers. However, making special considerations to one labor category, will most certainly cause strife for others. The larger number of travelers affects ticketing agents (more travelers to assist), the grounds crew (more debris and foot traffic), etc. Though the immediacy of the situation may dictate that the luggage handlers compensation package be upgraded first, surely the other labor categories deserve the same consideration. This will ensure that any rift that may occur will be short lived.

Sexual Harassment Policies

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment is defined as "Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment." They also classify sexual harassment is "a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."

Organizations, as in the Cartwright Porter Regional Airport simulation, have an obligation to safeguard their employees from any and all instances of sexual discrimination. This may be accomplished by creating and upholding a stringent corporate sexual harassment policy. Reese and Lindenberg (2004) offer comprehensive guidelines for an organization to follow to convey that there is no flexibility in the organization's sexual harassment policy. They include:

* Creating a clear statement of what sexual harassment is and that it will not be tolerated

* Obtaining a strong commitment to an understanding of the policy by supervisors and top management

* Providing mandatory training programs for both employees and supervisors regarding the nature of sexual harassment to increase awareness of unacceptable behaviors

* Sensitivity training for supervisors to improve interaction with all parties involved

* Providing training for supervisors on the proper processes for conducting investigations

* Creating clear procedures for dealing with sexual harassment complaints

* Trained, neutral investigators to deal with sexual harassment complaints;

* Ensure that investigative teams composed of both genders

* Ensure that the organization investigative procedures safeguard the confidentiality of both the accused and the claimant, including sanctions for breaches of confidentiality

* Timelines for various policy processes - interviews, investigations, findings, reporting

* Specific procedures for reporting, to the complainant and accused, the findings and outcomes of the investigation on at least some level

* Serious sanctions for inappropriate behaviors; and

* Including supervisor handling of sexual harassment complaints in supervisory evaluation procedures.

By establishing a company sexual harassment policy that incorporates many, if not all, of the above guidelines will ensure that employees are aware of the company's position