Gender Relations and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Michael Crichton's Disclosure as a Teaching Tool

In: Journal of management education: the official publication of the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society, Band 22, Heft 2, S. 227-241

Abstract

In Crichton's best-selling novel Disclosure, a high-level manager who rejects the sexual advances of his new boss (who is also his ex-lover) is accused by her of sexual harassment. Meanwhile, their high-tech West Coast company is being considered for possible acquisition by a New York publishing conglomerate that would appear to be intolerant of even the tiniest intimation of impropriety. This novel can be used as the foundation for provocative discussion of topics, including the gray areas of sexual harassment, the relationship between sexual harassment and power, and the nature of gender relations in organizations.