title: Sexual Harassment by Hotel Customers: Impacts on Workers, and Reactions from Management: A Thailand Study

authors: Aksonnit, Prasitchai

subjects: Customer Sexual Harassment

abstract: Sexual harassment (SH) in the hospitality industry is prevalent. This study investigates the phenomenon of sexual harassment of hotel staff by customers in Thailand. There are two main research objectives. The first is to explore the relationship between factors such as age, gender, marital status, and race and how these factors are influenced by the characteristics of the hotel industry as a service provider. The second is to investigate the perception of hotel staff concerning their sexual harassment experiences, in the following six areas: whether hotel staff consider such experience as sexual harassment; whether male and female staff perceive such experience similarly; the staff's perceived severity of sexual harassment; type of sexual harassment by customer (verbal, physical, visual, or written); how staff react to sexual harassment; how sexual harassment impacts on staff.
The research employs a mixed methodology. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with hotel executives and Human Resource managers in Bangkok, Thailand. Another sixty in-depth interviews were conducted with general hotel staff at a number of different locations throughout Thailand. The in-depth interview data were explored using thematic analysis – as suggested by Creswell’s generic process of qualitative data analysis (2003) and Braun and Clarke (2006)’s Phases of Thematic Analysis. The last part of the research involved five hundred surveys distributed to hotel staff in eight locations in Thailand and was based upon the thematic analysis of the in-depth interview with hotel executives, Human Resource managers and staff, with reference to the literature. The data from the survey were analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Statistics analysis included descriptive statistics (means and frequencies of answers to each item) and nonparametric tests which were used to examine the relationships between dependent and independent variables. Integration of qualitative and quantitative data was carried out in the discussion chapter. 

The research reveals that the personal characteristics of hotel staff, as well as the specific hotel job and characteristics of the hospitality environment were contributory causes for sexual harassment. 
The study results also indicate that sexual harassment is prevalent and severe in the Thai hotel industry. Female staff were more vulnerable to severe physical sexual harassment than their male counterparts. However, both male and female staff were vulnerable to sexual harassment. The research also indicates that although they were a small part of the data set, homosexual staff were the most vulnerable to sexual harassment. Evidence indicates that staff experienced all forms of harassment (verbal, visual, physical, and written). The physical form was considered the most severe and might trigger a complaint from staff. Written forms of harassment were considered to be the least severe and rarely occurred. Verbal and visual forms were normal and accepted by most staff. Men were more tolerant of sexual harassment than women. Sexual harassment had a range of impacts on staff but most accepted it as part of the job and simply ignored it. Staff employed multiple methods to cope, ranging from ignoring it to informing legal authorities. However, the research indicates that most staff did not complain except in the most severe cases (such as rape). Sexual harassment also impacted on a hotel's image and reputation. It is of note that the research indicates that hotels were not equipped in regards to sexual harassment policies and complaint handling procedures.
The study also indicates that some Thai cultural and social issues had played a significant role in the prevalence of sexual harassment. These include the cultural differences (between the Thai workers and the foreign customers), the significant presence of prostitutes, patriarchy and the legal system.  This study demonstrates that hotels should consider the need for management commitment, effective sexual harassment policy, good communication, recruitment and training. The research also recommends culture change within the management of the hotel, improvement of physical hotel security and infrastructure as well as government and tourism regulators’ cooperation.  Apart from the cultural aspect, sexual harassment theory should incorporate the environment settings into its definition and application. Sexual harassment in the hospitality industry and other service industries has some common elements such as the harasser, the forms of conduct, and the victim. However, each industry may have its own characteristics and settings that facilitate the misconduct. This makes one service industry more susceptible than the others to sexual harassment. Future research should focus on both these common and different elements. The study of sexual harassment in other service industries such as nursing, airlines, health care and so forth is recommended.
The study concluded that there were a multiple causes that trigger sexual harassment in hotels and proposes an Integrated Model/Dimension of Customer Sexual Harassment (IMCSH) as a theoretical framework for sexual harassment study in hotels as it is of considerable interest to both academics and practitioners. It gives a new multi-dimension to the interrelationship between sexual harassment and the characteristics of hotel staff, hotel premises, sociocultural characteristics of the country as well as the characteristics of the hospitality itself. This lends itself to further research which will help gain a greater understanding of this interrelationship.

text: Sexual Harassment by Hotel Customers: Impacts on Workers, and Reactions from Management: A Thailand Study Sexual harassment (SH) in the hospitality industry is prevalent. This study investigates the phenomenon of sexual harassment of hotel staff by customers in Thailand. There are two main research objectives. The first is to explore the relationship between factors such as age, gender, marital status, and race and how these factors are influenced by the characteristics of the hotel industry as a service provider. The second is to investigate the perception of hotel staff concerning their sexual harassment experiences, in the following six areas: whether hotel staff consider such experience as sexual harassment; whether male and female staff perceive such experience similarly; the staff's perceived severity of sexual harassment; type of sexual harassment by customer (verbal, physical, visual, or written); how staff react to sexual harassment; how sexual harassment impacts on staff.
The research employs a mixed methodology. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with hotel executives and Human Resource managers in Bangkok, Thailand. Another sixty in-depth interviews were conducted with general hotel staff at a number of different locations throughout Thailand. The in-depth interview data were explored using thematic analysis – as suggested by Creswell’s generic process of qualitative data analysis (2003) and Braun and Clarke (2006)’s Phases of Thematic Analysis. The last part of the research involved five hundred surveys distributed to hotel staff in eight locations in Thailand and was based upon the thematic analysis of the in-depth interview with hotel executives, Human Resource managers and staff, with reference to the literature. The data from the survey were analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Statistics analysis included descriptive statistics (means and frequencies of answers to each item) and nonparametric tests which were used to examine the relationships between dependent and independent variables. Integration of qualitative and quantitative data was carried out in the discussion chapter. 

The research reveals that the personal characteristics of hotel staff, as well as the specific hotel job and characteristics of the hospitality environment were contributory causes for sexual harassment. 
The study results also indicate that sexual harassment is prevalent and severe in the Thai hotel industry. Female staff were more vulnerable to severe physical sexual harassment than their male counterparts. However, both male and female staff were vulnerable to sexual harassment. The research also indicates that although they were a small part of the data set, homosexual staff were the most vulnerable to sexual harassment. Evidence indicates that staff experienced all forms of harassment (verbal, visual, physical, and written). The physical form was considered the most severe and might trigger a complaint from staff. Written forms of harassment were considered to be the least severe and rarely occurred. Verbal and visual forms were normal and accepted by most staff. Men were more tolerant of sexual harassment than women. Sexual harassment had a range of impacts on staff but most accepted it as part of the job and simply ignored it. Staff employed multiple methods to cope, ranging from ignoring it to informing legal authorities. However, the research indicates that most staff did not complain except in the most severe cases (such as rape). Sexual harassment also impacted on a hotel's image and reputation. It is of note that the research indicates that hotels were not equipped in regards to sexual harassment policies and complaint handling procedures.
The study also indicates that some Thai cultural and social issues had played a significant role in the prevalence of sexual harassment. These include the cultural differences (between the Thai workers and the foreign customers), the significant presence of prostitutes, patriarchy and the legal system.  This study demonstrates that hotels should consider the need for management commitment, effective sexual harassment policy, good communication, recruitment and training. The research also recommends culture change within the management of the hotel, improvement of physical hotel security and infrastructure as well as government and tourism regulators’ cooperation.  Apart from the cultural aspect, sexual harassment theory should incorporate the environment settings into its definition and application. Sexual harassment in the hospitality industry and other service industries has some common elements such as the harasser, the forms of conduct, and the victim. However, each industry may have its own characteristics and settings that facilitate the misconduct. This makes one service industry more susceptible than the others to sexual harassment. Future research should focus on both these common and different elements. The study of sexual harassment in other service industries such as nursing, airlines, health care and so forth is recommended.
The study concluded that there were a multiple causes that trigger sexual harassment in hotels and proposes an Integrated Model/Dimension of Customer Sexual Harassment (IMCSH) as a theoretical framework for sexual harassment study in hotels as it is of considerable interest to both academics and practitioners. It gives a new multi-dimension to the interrelationship between sexual harassment and the characteristics of hotel staff, hotel premises, sociocultural characteristics of the country as well as the characteristics of the hospitality itself. This lends itself to further research which will help gain a greater understanding of this interrelationship.

year: 2014

title: Wave climate and sediment transport within Tauranga Harbour, in the vicinity of Pilot Bay

authors: de Lange, Willem P.

abstract: Previous studies of hydrodynamics and circulation in Tauranga Harbour, a meso-tidal estuarine lagoon (168km² total area), have concentrated on tidally-induced processes. However, non-tidal processes, such as wind generated waves, are also responsible for sediment transport in estuaries. This study was initiated to characterise the wave climate and investigate the effect waves have on sediment transport and deposition within the southern basin of the harbour (112km²), particularly adjacent to the Port of Tauranga in the vicinity of Pilot Bay.
A review of previous investigations of the hydrodynamics and sedimentology of Tauranga Harbour was undertaken, and predictions concerning tidal circulation patterns and sediment transport pathways were examined in light of more recent data. Two model-based studies were considered in detail: the physical model run by the Wallingford Hydraulic Research Station; and the numerical models used by the Tauranga Harbour Study (THS). Both methods simulated large-scale circulation patterns reasonably well, the numerical model results being more exact than those of the earlier physical model. However, discrepancies were evident when considering more local circulation patterns, such as in Pilot Bay.
Tidal circulation patterns and sediment facies distributions for Pilot Bay were compared with detailed model predictions from the two previous studies. Both failed to correctly define the circulation present, although the THS numerical sediment transport model did agree with the facies distribution. However, the facies distribution is relict, resulting from flow conditions prior to port development. 
Wind and pressure parameters were measured to assess the role local weather conditions play in determining the wave climate within the harbour. The harbour weather patterns are dominated by a diurnal sea breeze cycle which results in a relatively high average speed of 4ms-¹ compared to inland locations. 
To define the wave climate, two main groups of waves were considered: high-frequency (short-period) waves, including wind-generated waves; and low-frequency (long-period) non- tidal waves, including seiches, storm surges and tsunamis. The wave climate within Tauranga Harbour is dominated by wave energy transmitted through the harbour entrance. This source accounts for ~70% of the energy in the average harbour spectrum; local wind-generated waves account for ~9%; and the rest represents low frequency waves, including tides. A relationship, based on the JONSWAP spectral form, was derived to predict the local wind-generated component of the wave field. The equation is more peaked than the normal JONSWAP form, reflecting the extreme limiting conditions found inside the harbour.
Seiching occurs frequently, usually in association with local winds exceeding 9.5ms⁻¹, but also in response to external forcing by tsunamis and large swell waves. Analysis of the seiche frequencies indicates that seiches are not controlled by harbour channels and dredged shipping basins. The largest oscillations within the harbour are caused by tsunamis and storm surges. 
Normally high-frequency waves inside the harbour are too small to move significant quantities of sediment, except when breaking or in very shallow water. However, wave-induced suspension of sediment combined with tidal currents can produce large sediment fluxes, particularly over the extensive intertidal regions of the southern basin (64km²). This process is most significant for regions where tidal velocities are below sediment threshold (<0.35ms⁻¹). The annual sediment fluxes for shallow regions with low tidal velocities are comparable to those occurring in major tidal channels within the harbour.
A renourished beach in Pilot Bay was monitored between 1983 and 1987. Based on measured volumetric changes the renourished beach is expected to last for between 7 and 16 years. The net sediment flux measured within the nearshore zone is in close agreement with the Tauranga Harbour Study numerical model predictions. Textural analyses of monthly sediment samples were used to predict sediment transport directions. The method employed produced directions consistent with the observed patterns of erosion and accretion.

text: Wave climate and sediment transport within Tauranga Harbour, in the vicinity of Pilot Bay Previous studies of hydrodynamics and circulation in Tauranga Harbour, a meso-tidal estuarine lagoon (168km² total area), have concentrated on tidally-induced processes. However, non-tidal processes, such as wind generated waves, are also responsible for sediment transport in estuaries. This study was initiated to characterise the wave climate and investigate the effect waves have on sediment transport and deposition within the southern basin of the harbour (112km²), particularly adjacent to the Port of Tauranga in the vicinity of Pilot Bay.
A review of previous investigations of the hydrodynamics and sedimentology of Tauranga Harbour was undertaken, and predictions concerning tidal circulation patterns and sediment transport pathways were examined in light of more recent data. Two model-based studies were considered in detail: the physical model run by the Wallingford Hydraulic Research Station; and the numerical models used by the Tauranga Harbour Study (THS). Both methods simulated large-scale circulation patterns reasonably well, the numerical model results being more exact than those of the earlier physical model. However, discrepancies were evident when considering more local circulation patterns, such as in Pilot Bay.
Tidal circulation patterns and sediment facies distributions for Pilot Bay were compared with detailed model predictions from the two previous studies. Both failed to correctly define the circulation present, although the THS numerical sediment transport model did agree with the facies distribution. However, the facies distribution is relict, resulting from flow conditions prior to port development. 
Wind and pressure parameters were measured to assess the role local weather conditions play in determining the wave climate within the harbour. The harbour weather patterns are dominated by a diurnal sea breeze cycle which results in a relatively high average speed of 4ms-¹ compared to inland locations. 
To define the wave climate, two main groups of waves were considered: high-frequency (short-period) waves, including wind-generated waves; and low-frequency (long-period) non- tidal waves, including seiches, storm surges and tsunamis. The wave climate within Tauranga Harbour is dominated by wave energy transmitted through the harbour entrance. This source accounts for ~70% of the energy in the average harbour spectrum; local wind-generated waves account for ~9%; and the rest represents low frequency waves, including tides. A relationship, based on the JONSWAP spectral form, was derived to predict the local wind-generated component of the wave field. The equation is more peaked than the normal JONSWAP form, reflecting the extreme limiting conditions found inside the harbour.
Seiching occurs frequently, usually in association with local winds exceeding 9.5ms⁻¹, but also in response to external forcing by tsunamis and large swell waves. Analysis of the seiche frequencies indicates that seiches are not controlled by harbour channels and dredged shipping basins. The largest oscillations within the harbour are caused by tsunamis and storm surges. 
Normally high-frequency waves inside the harbour are too small to move significant quantities of sediment, except when breaking or in very shallow water. However, wave-induced suspension of sediment combined with tidal currents can produce large sediment fluxes, particularly over the extensive intertidal regions of the southern basin (64km²). This process is most significant for regions where tidal velocities are below sediment threshold (<0.35ms⁻¹). The annual sediment fluxes for shallow regions with low tidal velocities are comparable to those occurring in major tidal channels within the harbour.
A renourished beach in Pilot Bay was monitored between 1983 and 1987. Based on measured volumetric changes the renourished beach is expected to last for between 7 and 16 years. The net sediment flux measured within the nearshore zone is in close agreement with the Tauranga Harbour Study numerical model predictions. Textural analyses of monthly sediment samples were used to predict sediment transport directions. The method employed produced directions consistent with the observed patterns of erosion and accretion.

year: 1988

title: Housing, mental health, and homelessness: Exploring lived experiences of homelessness to identify barriers to sustainable housing for vulnerable populations

authors: Cresswell, Caitlin Grace

subjects: Homelessness

abstract: Homelessness has become a much talked about topic in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2018 and the preceding years. This thesis explores the experiences of five people who have mental illness and have lived experience of homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand, and two staff members who work closely with people who experience both mental illness and homelessness. The theoretical frameworks that inform this thesis are narrative research, social constructionism and humanistic psychology. Particular attention was paid to using theoretical frameworks and interview methods that suited Māori (the indigenous population of Aotearoa New Zealand) due to the inequities experienced by Māori in mental health and homelessness, and the majority of participants identifying as New Zealand Māori. Participants’ narratives were gathered using semi- structured interviews. This study argues the importance of a humanistic perspective being used for research on homelessness. In contrast to traditional psychology, humanistic psychology emphasises respecting individual participants’ voice and narratives about their personal experiences of homelessness while considering the environment that influence these narratives. The participants’ narratives reflected their desire to be viewed as more than their life circumstances and illness through the sharing of their life stories. While there has been growing public awareness about mental illness, stigma still exists about mental illness which influences social narratives and how people who have mental illness understand their experiences. I argue that people who are vulnerable to homelessness, like those who experience mental illness, should have better protection from homelessness. To achieve this, I argue that structural barriers to finding, gaining and sustaining housing need to be addressed,
iii
including the design of welfare and housing services. Additionally, there needs to be recognition that the solutions to homelessness are complex and require a whole of system approach to effectively address and prevent homelessness. Recognising the complex nature of homelessness and it’s solutions will help bring a focus to establishing predominantly preventative solutions while also providing emergency housing for people in need.

text: Housing, mental health, and homelessness: Exploring lived experiences of homelessness to identify barriers to sustainable housing for vulnerable populations Homelessness has become a much talked about topic in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2018 and the preceding years. This thesis explores the experiences of five people who have mental illness and have lived experience of homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand, and two staff members who work closely with people who experience both mental illness and homelessness. The theoretical frameworks that inform this thesis are narrative research, social constructionism and humanistic psychology. Particular attention was paid to using theoretical frameworks and interview methods that suited Māori (the indigenous population of Aotearoa New Zealand) due to the inequities experienced by Māori in mental health and homelessness, and the majority of participants identifying as New Zealand Māori. Participants’ narratives were gathered using semi- structured interviews. This study argues the importance of a humanistic perspective being used for research on homelessness. In contrast to traditional psychology, humanistic psychology emphasises respecting individual participants’ voice and narratives about their personal experiences of homelessness while considering the environment that influence these narratives. The participants’ narratives reflected their desire to be viewed as more than their life circumstances and illness through the sharing of their life stories. While there has been growing public awareness about mental illness, stigma still exists about mental illness which influences social narratives and how people who have mental illness understand their experiences. I argue that people who are vulnerable to homelessness, like those who experience mental illness, should have better protection from homelessness. To achieve this, I argue that structural barriers to finding, gaining and sustaining housing need to be addressed,
iii
including the design of welfare and housing services. Additionally, there needs to be recognition that the solutions to homelessness are complex and require a whole of system approach to effectively address and prevent homelessness. Recognising the complex nature of homelessness and it’s solutions will help bring a focus to establishing predominantly preventative solutions while also providing emergency housing for people in need.

year: 2018