Workplace Sexual Harassment 30 Years on: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Despite its proscription in legal jurisdictions around the world, workplace sexual harassment (SH) continues to be experienced by many women and some men in a variety of organizational settings. The aims of this review article are threefold: first, with a focus on workplace SH as it pertains to management and organizations, to synthesize the accumulated state of knowledge in the field; second, to evaluate this evidence, highlighting competing perspectives; and third, to canvass areas in need of further investigation. Variously ascribed through individual (psychological or legal consciousness) frameworks, sociocultural explanations and organizational perspectives, research consistently demonstrates that, like other forms of sexual violence, individuals who experience workplace SH suffer significant psychological, health‐ and job‐related consequences. Yet they often do not make formal complaints through internal organizational procedures or to outside bodies. Laws, structural reforms and policy initiatives have had some success in raising awareness of the problem and have shaped rules and norms in the employment context. However, there is an imperative to target further workplace actions to effectively prevent and respond to SH.

Not So Silent: How Social Support is Given and Received in Dealing with Sexual Harassment in Sri Lankan Work-Places

“…Yet, conversely, a plethora of research also indicate how women seek social support, breaking this silence and secrecy by involving the family, friends or co-workers (Hotteling 1991, Gutek & Koss 1993, Fitzgerald, Swan & Fischer 1995, Schneider, Swan & Fitzgerald, 1997, Wijayatilake & Zachariya 2000, Haspels et al 2001, McDonald 2012. Nevertheless these studies appear to only scratch the surface of the concept of social support as a means of handling and coping with sexual harassment (Hotteling 1991, Gutek & Koss 1993, Fitzgerald, Swan, & Fischer 1995, Haspels et al 2001).…”

“…While studies on sexual harassment have used the term and the concept of social support, they have only vaguely addressed the issue (e.g. Cortina & Wasti 2005, Bowling & Beehr 2006, McDonald et al 2012 without sufficiently indicating the different dimensions of social support, the different ways it is manifested and the outcomes of such social support related to sexual harassment. Yet, with sexual harassment persisting in organizations even with numerous government, organizational and individual interventions, there is a need to investigate how social support can be employed to combat the issue.…”

Exploring gender harassment among university teachers and researchers

“…Workplace sexual harassment was acknowledged as a phenomenon in the 1970s and several studies in the field have been conducted since then (McDonald 2012). The concept of sexual harassment can lead to false associations about the motives being sexual desire or sexual relations, but studies show that this kind of harassment mainly aims to derogate and dominate the victim based on gender rather than to have sexual relation with the victim (Berdahl 2007a).…”

“…Since gender harassment does not include overt unwanted sexual attention it is considered as a milder and less serious form of harassment and has therefore not received the same attention as sexual harassment by researchers nor by organisations (Leskinen et al, 2011). Exposure to sexual harassment has been found to be related to poorer health, well-being and work-related aspects, like job-dissatisfaction (Fitzgerald et al, 1995;McDonald 2012). Likewise, there is some evidence that women who have been exposed to gender harassment show negative professional and personal outcomes (Leskinen et al, 2011).…”

“…Sex-based harassment or gender harassment is considered the most common form of sexual harassment Berdahl (2007a), and has been defined as verbal and nonverbal behaviours that convey insulting, hostile and degrading attitudes towards women (Fitzgerald et al, 1995). Exposure to sexual harassment has also been found to be related to poorer health, well-being and work-related aspects, like job-dissatisfaction (Fitzgerald et al, 1997;McDonald 2012). Husu (2001) found in her study that behind the alleged gender equality in the universities different subtle discriminating actions could be discerned.…”