First of all, James understands that sexual harassment is a serious issue
             and a risk to the company. In addition, since the company is small, he
             knows that the two will have to work on projects together in the future.
             Since Suzanne is very upset about the situation, James also knows that he
             will have to deal with the problem immediately.
             There are many options available for solving this dispute. People have a
             tendency to assume that parties to a sexual harassment complaint cannot
             work together to resolve the dispute (Hajdin and LeMoncheck, 1997). This
             assumption does both parties a disservice. Many hostile environment
             complaints arise as a result of differences in perception about what is
             humorous or flattering and what is offensive, or they arise as a result of
             one person's failure to respect the other or to understand the effect of
             his or her behavior on the other. If the parties are open to talking with
             each other, these complaints can be mediated and resolved. By using
             mediation, James can potentially save the company's relationship with both
             More and more American businesses are creating workplaces that are more
             collaborative and less confrontational, more team-oriented and less
             hierarchical (Singer, 1994). In today's work environment, both employers
             and employees are recognizing that they should not treat each other as
             adversaries when they must produce goods or perform services together.
             Innovative companies are investigating management and production systems
             that emphasize informed participation, decentralized authority and expanded
             responsibility. Consistent with these goals, many companies are
             implementing mediation as a dispute resolution technique.
             Mediation of workplace disputes can be very beneficial for companies that
             have no plans to change the structure or philosophy of their organizations
             (Singer, 1994). Employment litigation can be an expensive process
             ...