Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose L. Siuta ◽  
Mindy E. Bergman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Organizational Power

Business and management conceptualizations of sexual harassment have been informed by both legal and psychological definitions. From the psychological perspective, sexual harassment behaviors include harassment based on one’s gender, enacting unwanted sexual attention, and sexual coercion. The most recent psychological theories of sexual harassment acknowledge that it is a gendered experience motivated by the societal stratification of gender and not by sexual gratification. Harassing behaviors negatively impact individual well-being. Well-documented workplace effects of sexual harassment include reduced job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and productivity, and increased job stress, turnover, withdrawal, and conflict. Sexual harassment negatively affects target’s psychological and physical well-being, including increases in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms, emotional exhaustion, headaches, sleep problems, gastric distress, and upper respiratory problems. All of these individual-level effects can result in financial decrements for the target and the organization. Both individual and organizational factors predict sexual harassment. Women are more likely to experience sexual harassment, as well as minoritized persons, with women who embody more than one minority identity being the most likely to experience sexual harassment. This finding supports the interpretation of sexual harassment as motivated by reinforcing societal power hierarchies. Other individual factors such as sexual orientation, age, education level, and marital status are also related to experiencing sexual harassment. At the organizational level, organizational climate, job-gender context, and relative power between the harasser and the target predict sexual harassment. Organizational climates that are more tolerant of sexual harassment produce more sexual harassment. In addition, as masculinity of a work context increases, so does sexual harassment for women. Lastly, those with lower organizational power are more likely to experience sexual harassment, particularly by people with higher levels of power; however, contrapower harassment (harassment of individuals with higher organizational power by those with lower organizational power) can also occur. Reporting harassment to organizational authorities has been theorized to lead to positive outcomes, but reporting rates are low. This may reflect findings that procedures for reporting are often unclear and that reporting often leads to worse outcomes for targets of harassment than their non-reporting peers. The two most common approaches to measuring sexual harassment are direct query (explicitly ask about sexual harassment) or behavior experiences (ask respondents about how many sexually harassing behaviors they have experienced). A few considerations for the methodology used in these studies include inconsistency in conceptual or operational definitions of sexual harassment, the framing of a study, the retrospective nature of research asking about past experiences, and the sampling methodology used. A number of gaps remain in the documentation and understanding of sexual harassment phenomena, which intersect with some research practices and challenges. These include (a) the need to take into account factors other than incidence rates, such as perceived severity of experiences; (b) further examination of how multiple minority statuses and intersectional oppression affect harassment; (c) the importance of conducting research on harassment perpetrators; and (d) the examination of culturally informed topics related to sexual harassment, particularly outside Western countries.

The Sexual Harassment of Federal Employees: Gender, Leadership Status, and Organizational Tolerance for Abuses of Power

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine E Tinkler ◽  
Jun Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Civilian Workforce ◽  
Women's Power ◽  
Merit Systems Protection Board ◽  
Federal Workforce ◽  
Merit Systems ◽  
Workplace Power

Abstract Theory and research suggest that sexual harassment is often a dominance strategy used to undermine women’s power, but the precise relationships between government employees’ workplace power, organizational climate, and vulnerability to particular types of sexual harassment remain under-specified. This study analyzes data from the 2016 US Merit Systems Protection Board survey of the federal civilian workforce (the most comprehensive and up-to-date national data on workplace sexual harassment) to test predictions about how employees’ workplace power and their agency’s efforts to mitigate abuses of power affect their likelihood of experiencing sexual harassment. Findings reveal that women in leadership positions report more sexual harassment than non-leaders, and that team leaders (i.e., those without formal supervisory authority) and executives (i.e., those with the most authority) report more sexual harassment than women in middle management. At the organizational level, sexual harassment occurs in workplaces with higher levels of non-sexual aggression and among employees who perceive their agency as less proactive in preventing and responding to social inequity. Taken together, findings suggest that sexual harassment is a dominance strategy not unlike other forms of aggression used to undermine women in power, and that workplace climates that are effective at mitigating abuses of power reduce the likelihood of experiencing sexual harassment. These results have implications for how government agencies can implement policies that not only prevent harassment but also promote democracy and equity among an increasingly diverse federal workforce.

Managers’ reactions to customer vs coworker sexual harassment

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 1211-1227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan M. Madera ◽  
Priyanko Guchait ◽  
Mary Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Implications ◽  
Hotel Managers ◽  
Hospitality Managers ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how managers react to sexual harassment as a function of the harasser role that includes a customer as a source of harassment and an organization’s climate for sexual harassment. Design/methodology/approach Using an experiment with a 2 (harasser role: coworker or customer) × 2 (organizational climate of sexual harassment: tolerates or does not tolerate) between-subjects design, 162 hotel managers were randomly assigned to read one of four conditions. Findings Both the harasser role and organization’s climate for sexual harassment influenced the managers’ sexual harassment reactions, specifically whether they label the incident as sexual harassment and attribute responsibility to the organization. The managers’ gender was found to moderate these relationships. Practical implications The results underscore the importance of understanding reactions to sexual harassment because, regardless of who harasses (coworker or customer) and the organizational climate (tolerates or does not tolerate sexual harassment), sexual harassment of any form can be harmful for the well-being of hospitality employees. These results also provide educational implications. Originality/value This is the first known experimental study to examine how hospitality managers react to sexual harassment when the harasser role includes a customer versus a coworker. The results illustrate that the same sexually harassing behavior was perceived less negatively – in regard to both the labeling and attribution of organizational responsibility – when it was done by a customer than by a coworker.

Knowledge sharing capability in healthcare organizations

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anchalee Kokanuch ◽  
Khwanruedee Tuntrabundit
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Knowledge Integration ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of organizational culture and stakeholders’ expectations on the relationship between organizational factors and organizations’ knowledge-sharing capability. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from public and private hospital administrators in Thailand via a questionnaire. To test the hypotheses, the data were analyzed using regression analysis. Findings The results reveal that organizational culture has a positive effect on the relationship between organizational climate and knowledge integration, while stakeholders’ expectations have positive effects on the relationships between organizational climate and interchanging knowledge. Research limitations/implications The present study focuses on knowledge sharing at an organizational level; future studies should examine knowledge sharing at both the organizational and individual levels. Practical implications This paper focuses on the effect of organizational factors on knowledge-sharing capability in hospitals. Executives should support the organizational climate and collaborative organizational culture for promoting knowledge integration in an organization. Furthermore, interchanging knowledge and organizational climate could be emphasized by the expectations of stakeholders. Originality/value Design of organizational climate, organizational culture, and expectations of stakeholders contribute to knowledge sharing at an organizational level.

“The Only Way We’ll Be Successful”: Organizational Factors That Influence Psychosocial Well-Being and Self-Care Among Advocates Working to Address Gender-Based Violence

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626051989734
Author(s):  
Ebru Cayir ◽  
Mindi Spencer ◽  
Deborah Billings ◽  
DeAnne K. Hilfinger Messias ◽  
Alyssa Robillard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychosocial Health ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Workplace Cultures

Advocates who work for nonprofit organizations (NPOs) that address gender-based violence (GBV) experience a wide range of psychosocial health and well-being risks due to the emotionally demanding nature of the work they engage in. Most recommendations for advocates’ self-care focus on individual-level activities, failing to hold the NPOs accountable for creating workplace cultures and practices that foster psychosocial well-being, self-care, and resilience among the advocates. The aim of this qualitative research was to further our understanding of organizational-level factors that influence psychosocial well-being and self-care practices among advocates who work for GBV-specific NPOs in a metropolitan area in the southeastern United States. We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 GBV-specific advocates. Constructivist grounded theory methods were used in coding and analyzing the data. Sixteen advocates identified as White, followed by five Black, two Hispanic, and two mixed-race/ethnicity. Mean age was 36 years. Most participants had a master’s degree ( n = 16). Analysis of the data resulted in three major themes: (a) Management and Leadership Style, (b) Interpersonal Relationship Dynamics, and (c) Culture of Self-Care. The ways in which leaders established relationships with other advocates to accomplish organizational goals, how advocates developed a sense of camaraderie with their coworkers, and shared norms around self-care shaped advocates’ willingness and ability to engage in individual and collective self-care. Findings of this study highlight the role of GBV-specific NPOs in creating workplace cultures and practices that are conducive to engaging in self-care and developing resilience among the advocates. By fulfilling this responsibility, organizations would enable the advocates to not only survive, but thrive in their work and make even greater strides in the overall mission of GBV prevention.

Running a mentalization-based treatment (MBT) programme within a public community adult mental health service setting: a feasibility study

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
D. Beattie ◽  
S. Murphy ◽  
S. Jamieson ◽  
A. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Service Setting ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Consult Group ◽  
Interpersonal Difficulties ◽  
Personality Dysfunction ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Community Adult

Objectives:This article aimed to address the feasibility of mentalization-based treatment (MBT) for patients with personality disorder in a non-specialist setting. The development and implementation of an MBT Programme is described.Methods:A multidisciplinary Consult Group met to plan the implementation of the programme. Participants attended a psychoeducation group (MBT Introductory Group), then weekly individual and group therapy. Fourteen participants started the full programme with eight completing at least 9 months, complete data are available for five participants who completed 27 months (first cohort) and 21 months (second cohort). Data include quantitative measures and qualitative questionnaires/interviews. All had a diagnosis of personality dysfunction with co-morbid disorder including anxiety/depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorder.Results:Data on five participants revealed reductions in global level of distress, improvements in psychological well-being, less interpersonal difficulties and better work and social functioning. Qualitative data from feedback questionnaires (n = 18) and in-depth interview (n = 2) are discussed under the themes of mentalizing, treatment feedback/outcomes and group factors. Therapist reflections on the process identify the challenges involved in implementing a specialist psychotherapy programme within a general service and learning points from this are discussed.Conclusions:MBT is an acceptable treatment for patients with personality dysfunction. Prior to the implementation of a programme, factors at the therapist, team and organizational level, as well as the wider context, need to be examined. This is to ensure that conditions are in place for proper adherence to the model to achieve the positive outcomes demonstrated in the RCT studies.

Understanding the Impact of Bullying in a Unionized U.S. Public Sector Workforce

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 139-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mazen El Ghaziri ◽  
Shellie Simons ◽  
Jane Lipscomb ◽  
Carla L. Storr ◽  
Kathleen McPhaul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Bargaining Unit ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Organizational Impact ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

Background: Workplace Bullying (WPB) can have a tremendous, negative impact on the victims and the organization as a whole. The purpose of this study was to examine individual and organizational impact associated with exposure to bullying in a large U.S. unionized public sector workforce. Methods: A cross-sectional Web-based survey was conducted among 16,492 U.S. state government workers. Survey domains included demographics, negative acts (NAs) and bullying, supportiveness of the organizational climate, and individual and organizational impacts of bullying. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the impact among respondents who reported exposure to bullying. Findings: A total of 72% participants responded to the survey (n = 11,874), with 43.7% (n = 5,181) reporting exposure to NAs and bullying. A total of 40% (n = 4,711) participants who experienced WPB reported individual impact(s) while 42% ( n = 4,969) reported organization impact(s). Regular NA was associated with high individual impact (negatively impacted them personally; odds ratio [OR] = 5.03) when controlling for other covariates including: female gender (OR =1.89) and job tenure of 6 to 10 years (OR = 1.95); working in a supportive organizational climate and membership in a supportive bargaining unit were protective of high impact (OR = 0.04 and OR = 0.59, respectively). High organizational impact (transferring to another position) was associated with regular NA and bullying (OR = 16.26), female gender (OR = 1.55), providing health care and field service (OR = 1.68), and protective effect of organizational climate (OR = 0.39). We found a dose-response relationship between bullying and both individual and organizational-level impact. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Understanding the impacts of WPB should serve to motivate more workplaces and unions to implement effective interventions to ameliorate the problem by enhancing the organizational climate, as well as management and employee training on the nature of WPB and guidance on reporting.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic and Helsinki University Hospital Personnel Psychological Well-Being: Six-Month Follow-Up Results

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2524
Author(s):  
Tanja Laukkala ◽  
Jaana Suvisaari ◽  
Tom Rosenström ◽  
Eero Pukkala ◽  
Kristiina Junttila ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Hospital Personnel ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Hospital District ◽  
Variation Explained

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unequally distributed extra workload to hospital personnel and first reports have indicated that especially front-line health care personnel are psychologically challenged. A majority of the Finnish COVID-19 patients are cared for in the Helsinki University Hospital district. The psychological distress of the Helsinki University Hospital personnel has been followed via an electronic survey monthly since June 2020. We report six-month follow-up results of a prospective 18-month cohort study. Individual variation explained much more of the total variance in psychological distress (68.5%, 95% CI 65.2–71.9%) and negative changes in sleep (75.6%, 95% CI 72.2–79.2%) than the study survey wave (1.6%, CI 0.5–5.5%; and 0.3%, CI 0.1–1.2%). Regional COVID-19 incidence rates correlated with the personnel’s psychological distress. In adjusted multilevel generalized linear multiple regression models, potentially traumatic COVID-19 pandemic-related events (OR 6.54, 95% CI 5.00–8.56) and front-line COVID-19 work (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.37–2.39) was associated with personnel psychological distress but age and gender was not. While vaccinations have been initiated, creating hope, continuous follow-up and psychosocial support is still needed for all hospital personnel.

Sexual harassment and psychological complaints: student- and class-level associations

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Brolin Låftman ◽  
Y Bjereld ◽  
B Modin ◽  
P Löfstedt
Keyword(s):  
School Climate ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
School Class ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
The Past ◽  
Class Level ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Background Students who are subjected to sexual harassment at school report lower psychological well-being than those who are not exposed. Yet, it is possible that the occurrence of sexual harassment in the school class is stressful also for those who are not directly targeted, with potential negative effects on well-being for all students. The aim was to examine whether sexual harassment at the student- and at the class-level was associated with students' psychological complaints. Methods Data from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) of 2017/18 was used, with information from students aged 11, 13 and 15 years (n = 3,720 distributed across 209 classes). Psychological complaints were constructed as a summative index of four items capturing how often the student had felt low, felt irritable or bad tempered, felt nervous, or had difficulties to fall asleep, during the past six months (Cronbach's alpha=0.78). Sexual harassment at the student-level was measured by one item concerning bullying at school: “Other students have exposed me to sexual jokes”. Students who reported that this had happened at least “2 or 3 times a month” were classified as exposed to sexual harassment at school. Sexual harassment at the class-level was defined as the school class proportion of students exposed to sexual harassment, reported in per cent. Two-level linear regression analysis was applied. Results Students who had been exposed to sexual harassment had higher levels of psychological complaints (b = 2.74, p < 0.001). The proportion of students in the school class who had been exposed to sexual harassment was also associated with higher levels of psychological complaints, even when adjusting for sexual harassment at the student-level, gender and grade (b = 0.03, p = 0.015). Conclusions Sexual harassment is harmful for those who are exposed, but may also affect other students negatively. Thus, a school climate free from sexual harassment will profit all students. Key messages Using data collected among students aged 11, 13 and 15 years, this study showed that sexual harassment at the student- and class-level was associated with higher levels of psychological complaints. Sexual harassment is harmful for those who are exposed, but may also affect other students negatively. Thus, a school climate free from sexual harassment will profit all students.

scholarly journals Associations of Sociodemographic Factors and Health Behaviors with the Emotional Well-Being of Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6160
Author(s):  
Célia Landmann Szwarcwald ◽  
Deborah Carvalho Malta ◽  
Marilisa Berti de Azevedo Barros ◽  
Paulo Roberto Borges de Souza Júnior ◽  
Dália Romero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Socioeconomic Vulnerability

This cross-sectional study utilizes data from a nationwide web-based survey aimed to identify the factors affecting the emotional well-being of Brazilian adolescents aged 12–17 during the period of school closures and confinement. Data collection took place from 27 June to 17 September 2020. We used the “virtual snowball” sampling method, and students from private and public schools were included. A total of 9470 adolescents were analyzed. A hierarchical logistic regression model was used to find the factors associated with reporting at least two of three self-reported problems—sadness, irritability, and sleep problems. The main proximal factor was loneliness (AdjOR = 8.12 p < 0.001). Problems related to school closures also played an important role. Regular intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as physical activity, demonstrated a positive influence on emotional well-being, while excessive screen time (AdjOR = 2.05, p < 0.001) and alcohol consumption negatively affected outcomes (AdjOR = 1.73, p < 0.001). As for distal variables, less affluent adolescents were the most affected, and males reported fewer emotional problems than females. Uncertainty regarding the disease in a context of socioeconomic vulnerability, together with rises in unhealthy behaviors and isolation from their immediate social circles, have negatively affected adolescents’ emotional status throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

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