By Dottie Barnes
gvsu.edu

It’s the same each semester. At least half of the women taking a business ethics course with Grand Valley State University professor Michael DeWilde have stories to tell about receiving inappropriate remarks or unwanted advances while at work.

Reactions to these stories from the men in class include looks of embarrassment or disbelief, while others seem a bit oblivious or said they didn’t realize the issue of sexual harassment was that bad.

This led DeWilde, professor of management and director of the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative in the Seidman College of Business, to begin using role play as a teaching tool at both the undergraduate and graduate level when discussing sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace.

In the #MeToo era, DeWilde has developed an innovative approach to help men more deeply understand the impact of sexual harassment. DeWilde demonstrates the role playing technique at conferences and it is the focus of his research on cognitive and emotional empathy.

During the role play, DeWilde plays the part of the “bad-guy harasser.”

During one training session at a Grand Rapids business, he noticed the technique was more effective when targeting a man instead of a woman.

“The feedback from this participant, and from other men in attendance, was ‘Sheesh, is that what it feels like?’ I finally got the desired effect,” DeWilde said.

In his business ethics courses, DeWilde started choosing men for the exercise and their reactions were immediate.

“Some get really nervous and become quite agitated and I have to back off,” he said. “I don’t think men appreciated the toll it takes on women emotionally and how long the effects can last, or what it means to feel a sense of dread to go to work because of harassment.”

Research in cognitive and emotional empathy is one of the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative’s major focuses. DeWilde recently conducted research at The Neuroimaging Lab at Texas Tech University, testing his role play methodology and the best ways to increase empathy. He said initial results from the lab are promising.

Recently, a conference attendee asked DeWilde, jokingly, “So, your solution to the sexual harassment of women is to sexually harass men?” To which DeWilde answered, “Well, in a controlled environment, yes.”

DeWilde said this type of role play he’s developed may or may not prove to be the only or best solution, however, men need to get it at a deeper emotional level in order to change things. 

For more information, contact Michael DeWilde at dewildem@gvsu.edu.