Sexual Harassment Research

Paper Summary:

Despite numerous court cases and over 10 years of research attention, what we don't know about sexual harassment far exceeds what we do know. This paper critically assesses the research literature on sexual harassment, identifies methodological problems and proposes recommendations for advancing our knowledge of this important construct. Seven major methodological problems were found to be prevalent in the research: (a) a disturbing lack of attention to construct validity issues, (b) a weak theoretical development, (c) an overuse of cross-sectional or static approaches for studying a dynamic phenomenon, (d) an almost complete reliance on convenience samples for survey research and college student samples for experimental research, (e) an almost complete reliance on "paper people" or descriptive stimuli, (f) little or no attention paid to the potential reactivity of measures and methods used, and (g) mono-method bias (using the same instruments for measuring both independent and dependent variables).

From the Paper:

"Sexual harassment is an important problem in the workplace (Tinsley & Stockdale, 1993). Not only is it a problem that has an impact on individuals, it is also a problem that can affect organizations both directly and indirectly (Fitzgerald & Shullman, 1993). Legal costs incurred can be large when sexual harassment is not dealt with effectively (Bennet-Alexander & Pincus, 1995). Furthermore, unwanted publicity may accompany sexual harassment charges, having an immeasurable impact on an organization's ability to attract and retain valued employees. Other indirect costs may include lower productivity, lower quality, increased absenteeism, and increased sick leave costs (Gutek & Koss, 1993; Lach & Gwartney-Gibbs, 1993)."

More papers on Sexual Harassment Research:

• Research Proposal # 93089 : "Sexual Harassment"
• Research Paper # 29227 : "Sexual Harassment in the Military"
• Research Paper # 93943 : "Sexual Harassment and Prevention Programs"

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