Silence, Voice, and Resilience: An Examination of Workplace Sexual Harassment

ABSTRACT

Whether victims of workplace sexual harassment voice their abuse or remain silent has implications for both organizations and victims. This study surveyed victims and observers of workplace sexual harassment to assess how medium of harassment, and voicing behaviors impact victims’ resilience and perceived vulnerability to future harassment. The study also examined the impact of organizational (in)tolerance of sexual harassment on both victims’ and observers’ organizational withdrawal and perceived vulnerability to future harassment. Findings show that victims’ resilience decreases when victims formally report their sexual harassment and when victims withdraw from their organizations, which is more likely to occur in organizations that are perceived as tolerant of sexual harassment. Results also show that observing sexual harassment had no effect on perceptions of organizational tolerance of sexual harassment. Theoretical and practical implications for organizations attempting to address the problem of sexual harassment are offered.

KEYWORDS:

• Organizational culture
• reporting sexual harassment
• employee silence
• organizational exit
• harassment spill over
• tolerance of abuse

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jessica L. Ford

Jessica L. Ford is an assistant professor of organizational communication at Baylor University. Her research examines organizational disruptions that affect the health and safety of organizational members.

Sonia Ivancic

Sonia Ivancic is an Assistant Professor at University of South Florida specializing in organizational and health communication. Her work analyzes discourses about work, identity, health, and the body as well as explores the politics and possibilities for social change.

Jennifer Scarduzio

Jennifer Scarduzio is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication. Her research examines the dark side of interpersonal, health, and organizational communication. She focuses on experiences of emotion, violence, identity, and wellness.