Reference no: EM133574603

Question: Briefly describe the case study you selected, and explain the elements of "identity abrasion" in the employee's experience. From the employee's position, describe what actions and strategies would be most welcome and effective for resolving this conflict situation.

Case study: I was a private equity analyst for a couple of years and worked closely with my boss. Over time, I had become his "go-to" person for dealing with client matters when he was unavailable or needed help. He often relied on me to take care of details for him or to respond to client requests, so he sometimes gave me access to his email account when he traveled. My boss had been expecting an important email from a client, which hadn't arrived before he left for a London business trip. He Blackberried me from the airport with instructions on responding to the client's request and told me to keep an eye on his email. I knew the message was time-sensitive, so I checked his account frequently. I had a tight deadline myself and needed to call a client. When I got off the phone, I saw several emails with the subject heading "Gala" had been sent to my boss. The emails, copied to my boss, were a conversation among eight other men, all of whom either worked at my firm or were clients and who, as vice presidents or above, were senior to me. When I saw the text-"Did anyone get the girl in the purple top?"-I choked. We had all attended an industry event the night before, and I had worn a purple blouse. I was quite certain the messages referred to me. The thread of emails contained several references to my physical appearance and speculations about what I would be like in bed. One guy, Tom, even described his fantasies of watching someone rape me. I looked through the cc list and saw the names of three guys who had hit on me during the event-guys I thought I had politely rebuffed. I was shocked by what I had just read. I felt horrible and completely humiliated. Many of these men had worked with me; I thought they all respected me. I couldn't believe they had written those things. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. In the middle of all this, the client email I had been expecting arrived. I dealt with the issue quickly, but my mind was racing. Should I turn the men from my firm into Human Resources? Confront them personally? Talk to my boss when he landed in London.