Workplace sexual harassment, workplace deviance, and family undermining

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of workplace sexual harassment (WSH) on hospitality employees’ workplace deviance and family undermining behaviors by focusing on the mediating effect of depression. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a three-phase field survey to collect data from hotels in China with a final sample of 266 hospitality employees. Data analysis techniques include descriptive statistics, confirmative factor analysis and hierarchical multiple regression. Findings This research finds that WSH is positively related to workplace deviance; WSH positively affects family undermining; depression is a mediator in the relationship between WSH and workplace deviance; and depression mediates the relationship between WSH and family undermining. Originality/value First, this research goes beyond the existing WSH literature by extending outcome variables to workplace deviance. Second, it is among the first to investigate the relationship between WSH and hospitality employees’ family life. Third, the examination of depression as a mediator advances the literature by unraveling the mediating mechanism underlying the effects of WSH on hospitality employees.