Antecedents and consequences of sexual harassment in organizations: A test of an integrated model.

TLDR

Sexual harassment of women in organizations has attracted growing research attention, yet conceptual models linking its antecedents and consequences remain underdeveloped. This study empirically tests a recently proposed integrated model of sexual harassment. The model identifies organizational climate and job gender context as key antecedents, with harassment affecting job satisfaction, anxiety, depression, and physical health. In a sample of women from a large regulated utility, the model’s predictions were largely confirmed.

Abstract

Sexual harassment of women in organizational settings has recently become a topic of interest to researchers and the general public alike. Although numerous studies document its frequency, the development of conceptual models identifying antecedents and consequences of harassment has proceeded at a slower pace. In this article, an empirical test of a recently proposed conceptual model is described. According to the model, organizational climate for sexual harassment and job gender context are critical antecedents of sexual harassment; harassment, in turn, influences work-related variables (e.g., job satisfaction); psychological states (e.g., anxiety and depression); and physical health. On the basis of a sample of women employed at a large, regulated utility company, the model's predictions were generally supported.