The interactive effects of sexual harassment and psychological capital on victims’ burnout: evidence from the post-#MeToo movement era

Abstract

Purpose In the post-#MeToo movement era, heightened awareness regarding harassment at workplace has forced corporations to consider gender-based harassment as a serious issue. This study aims to theorise and test psychological capital as a resource reservoir to cope with burnout experienced in the form of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishments as results of gender-based harassment at workplace. Design/methodology/approach Multi-wave data were collected from 304 female employees working in project-based organisations in the information technology industry in Pakistan. Findings The analysis shows contradictory findings about the prevalence of sexual harassment when a behavioural measurement approach was used against a direct query method. The results also show that gender harassment leads to burnout causing emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment among the victims. However, psychological capital helps victims cope with these adverse effects of gender harassment. Practical implications Managers need to boost the psychological capital of female workers and devise effective policies to combat gender harassment in the workplace. Enforcement of legislation regarding harassment in the workplace should be ensured, which will also indicate seriousness towards the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal No. 5, that is, gender equality. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to present psychological capital as a resource reservoir to combat the negative effects of gender harassment and has been conducted in less studied non-Western work settings.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Consequences and Perceived Self-Efficacy in Women and Men Witnesses and Non-Witnesses

“…Resistance is a reactive coping strategy, and strategies in this domain included persistent attempts to talk, persistence in general, asserting one’s voice and authority, turning to the community, and using self-protective measures. As Hashmi et al [ 74 ] point out, thanks to the #MeToo campaign, SHW problems and their coping strategies are increasingly seen as structural problems and not just individual-level problems. The witnesses in our study may have been exposed to the “New Deal” for SHW, which influenced how they dealt with the phenomenon [ 75 ].…”

Effect of client-centred and reality therapies on the coping strategies of sexually harassed students in tertiary institutions in Taraba State, Nigeria

“…Resistance is a reactive coping strategy, and strategies in this domain included persistent attempts to talk, persistence in general, asserting one's voice and authority, turning to the community, and using self-protective measures. As Hashmi et al (2022) point out, thanks to the #MeToo campaign, SHW problems and their coping strategies are increasingly seen as structural problems and not just individual-level problems. The witnesses in our study may have been exposed to the "new deal" for SHW, which influenced how they dealt with the phenomenon [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] .…”

“…As Hashmi et al (2022) point out, thanks to the #MeToo campaign, SHW problems and their coping strategies are increasingly seen as structural problems and not just individual-level problems. The witnesses in our study may have been exposed to the "new deal" for SHW, which influenced how they dealt with the phenomenon [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] . In 2016, before the #MeToo momentum, Johnson et al (2022) surveyed 250 professional women in the US about the prevalence of SHW and its impact on their work; they also interviewed 31 women in the US about their individual experiences.…”

Direct and indirect effects of workplace sexual harassment on the productivity of victims and witnesses: The preventive role of equitable management

“…Indeed, women who are sexually harassed at work rarely report it [ 6 ], yet they quit their job more often due to the harassment [ 7 ]. WSH diminishes self-confidence and increases post-traumatic stress, fatigue, sleep problems, depersonalization, anxiety, burn-out, psychotropic self-medication, depression, and suicidal ideation [ [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] ].…”