Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Workplace Incivility: Who Is Most Targeted and Who Is Most Harmed?

Sexual Harassment at Work: Scoping Review of Reviews

Background

This article presents a scoping review of reviews on the topic of Sexual Harassment (SH) in the workplace, a subject that has garnered significant global attention. The phenomenon of SH poses a critical challenge to equal opportunity and gender equity in the workplace.

Aim

The review aims to synthesize existing research, focusing on the antecedents, consequences, and interventions related to SH.

Methods

The inclusion and exclusion criteria were established based on the research question, which was adapted from the PICO strategy. A protocol was devised following the "DS-CPC" format, which encompasses considerations related to Documents, Studies, Construct, Participants, and Contexts. The search was carried utilizing several automated databases, specifically focusing on the fields of Psychology, Behavioral Sciences, and Health. Preliminary search yielded a total of 468 articles, and the review ultimately encompassed a total of 22 articles.

Results

This review critically examines the complexity of SH, including the role of bystanders, the perpetuation of myths and misconceptions, and the exploitation of power imbalances by harassers. It also explores the manifestation of SH in male-dominated workplaces and the varying levels of organizational awareness and response to such incidents. The review highlights the importance of fostering an organizational culture that not only acknowledges and protects victims but also implements effective measures to penalize perpetrators.

Implications

It aims to elucidate the intricacies of SH and advocate for a workplace environment characterized by respect and accountability. Through this comprehensive analysis, the article seeks to inform and guide future research, policy development, and organizational practices concerning SH.

How harassment is depriving universities of talent: a national survey of STEM academics in the UK

Introduction

Despite efforts to increase girls' interest in subjects related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, there remains a large gender gap in STEM academic faculty.

Methods

We conducted a national survey comprising 732 early career and senior academics from 40 universities in the UK to investigate the role of pull (receiving career advancement opportunities) and push (experiencing harassment) factors in shaping people's intentions to stay in STEM academia, and the mediating role of perceived workplace climate, academic identification, and beliefs about the ability to succeed (job-related self-efficacy).

Results

Our findings show the differential effect of harassment experiences for women, relative to men. Women experienced more harassment than men, which contributes to their higher intentions to leave academia through enhancing perceptions of a negative workplace climate (i.e., a less collaborative, fair, and inclusive climate) and lower job-related identification (i.e., believing in their ability to succeed as researchers). While receiving opportunities also related to intentions of leaving academia, we did not observe a gender difference in this factor.

Discussion

The result of our analysis underlines the critical importance of preventing and addressing harassment in academic institutions for the retention of female academic talent.

[Enterprise countermeasures against workplace bullying and harassment and their association with prevalence of bullying and harassment, organizational climate, and employee perception of change]

OBJECTIVES

Although companies are required to implement countermeasures against workplace harassment, their effectiveness has not been verified. Therefore, in this study, we compared employees' awareness of the primary preventive measures or organizational climate and the prevalence of harassment in each company.

METHODS

A total of 68 companies in Japan (with a total of approximately 20,000 employees) were targeted. Harassment countermeasures were measured using seven items. Power (11 items), sexual (7 items), maternity (2 items), paternity (2 items), care (1 item), and gender harassment (1 item) were measured. Organizational climate was measured using 10 items comprising subcategories, such as civility, psychological safety, and role clarity. The percentage of employee recognition of anti-harassment measures and organizational climate was divided into three groups (high, medium, and low), and the prevalence of each type of harassment and employees' recognition of changes in the workplace were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test or ANOVA.

RESULTS

In companies where more than 70% of the employees were aware that their company had implemented questionnaire surveys to ascertain the working environment, by displaying posters or providing training along with the establishment of a group-wide general and a compliance consultation service, the prevalence of power and sexual harassment was lower than in companies with lower awareness. However, no difference in the prevalence of power harassment by the employee recognition level could be confirmed with the dissemination of messages by top management, establishment of rules through employment regulations, and the establishment of a consultation service in the company. Regarding organizational climate, the incidence of power and sexual harassment was lower in companies where more than 80% of employees perceived high levels of civility, psychological safety, and role clarity. In addition, the higher the percentage of employees who were aware of the harassment prevention measures implemented by the company, the higher the percentage of employees who felt favorable changes in themselves, their surroundings, and their workplace.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The harassment rate tended to be lower in companies where more employees were aware of the implementation of anti-harassment measures. The fact that the rate of harassment was lower in companies where there was role clarity and many employees felt psychologically safe suggests that measures focusing on the organizational climate may also be effective in preventing harassment.

Perceived workplace incivility and psychological well-being in higher education teachers: a multigroup analysis

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of perceived workplace incivility (WPI) on psychological well-being (PWB) in teachers of higher education and to test for the moderating role of gender and organizational tenure on the relationship between perceived WPI and PWB.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from teachers (N = 341) employed in government and private colleges through convenience sampling. A structural equation modeling technique was used for model testing.

Findings

Results showed a moderate level of perceived WPI by teachers from their colleagues or supervisors. Perceived WPI had a negative impact on PWB. Sixteen percent of the variance in PWB was explained by perceived WPI. Further, the multigroup analysis showed gender to moderate the relationship between perceived WPI and PWB, and this relationship was stronger for males than females. Organizational tenure was not a significant moderator.

Research limitations/implications

These findings expand the literature on perceived WPI and suggest that stringent policies are essential in academia to minimize the incidence of WPI. Additionally, interventions are to be introduced to mitigate the negative outcomes of WPI both at the individual and organizational levels.

Originality/value

The study explores the role of demographic variables (gender and organizational tenure) in the relationship between perceived WPI and PWB in teachers. The empirical evidence suggests higher perceived WPI in male teachers leading to lower PWB. The organizational tenure of an employee shows no influence on the assessment of the stressor.

Association of Gender and Race/Ethnicity with Internal Medicine In-Training Examination Performance in Graduate Medical Education

BACKGROUND

Disparities in objective assessments in graduate medical education such as the In-Training Examination (ITE) that disadvantage women and those self-identifying with race/ethnicities underrepresented in medicine (URiM) are of concern.

OBJECTIVE

Examine ITE trends longitudinally across post-graduate year (PGY) with gender and race/ethnicity.

DESIGN

Longitudinal analysis of resident ITE metrics at 7 internal medicine residency programs, 2014-2019. ITE trends across PGY of women and URiM residents compared to non-URiM men assessed via ANOVA. Those with ITE scores associated with less than 90% probability of passing the American Board of Internal Medicine certification exam (ABIM-CE) were identified and odds of being identified as at-risk between groups were assessed with chi square.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 689 IM residents, including 330 women and URiM residents (48%).

MAIN MEASURES

ITE score KEY RESULTS: There was a significant difference in ITE score across PGY for women and URiM residents compared to non-URiM men (F_{(2, 1321)} 4.46, p=0.011). Adjusting for program, calendar year, and baseline ITE, women and URiM residents had smaller ITE score gains (adjusted mean change in score between PGY1 and PGY3 (se), non-URiM men 13.1 (0.25) vs women and URiM residents 11.4 (0.28), p<0.001). Women and URiM residents had greater odds of being at potential risk for not passing the ABIM-CE (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.78) with greatest odds in PGY3 (OR 3.13, 95% CI 1.54 to 6.37).

CONCLUSION

Differences in ITE over training were associated with resident gender and race/ethnicity. Women and URiM residents had smaller ITE score gains across PGY translating into greater odds of potentially being seen as at-risk for not passing the ABIM-CE. Differences in ITE over training may reflect differences in experiences of women and URiM residents during training and may lead to further disparities.

Measuring Bullying in Sexual Minorities: Testing Two Bullying Scales in an LGB Sample

The working experience for those in the sexual minority is not well understood, particularly with respect to interpersonal mistreatment based on sexual orientation. This study breaks new ground by utilizing a sample of 416 LGB working adults to assess the relative usefulness of two bullying measures (the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (Person-Related) and the Homophobic Bullying Scale) to determine their convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity in predicting organizational commitment, turnover, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results show that discriminant and convergent validity exist between these scales and both measure similar levels of perceived bullying (from the victim's perspective). We concluded that although there are similarities and differences between these measures, more research is needed to determine the most appropriate instrument to assess perceived bullying in a sexual minority population. Several areas for subsequent research are noted.

Students' Emotional Well-Being, and Perceived Faculty Incivility and Just Behavior Before and During COVID-19

This research set out to measure the impact of the lockdown condition and social distancing imposed on higher education by the Israeli government during the COVID-19 period and the shift to online learning, on students’ emotional well-being, the way they perceived their teachers’ just behavior, and faculty incivility, compared to pre-pandemic conditions. An additional aim was to explore the set of connections among these factors. The total sample included 396 undergraduate students from three academic colleges. Data were gathered via three questionnaires: Positive/negative affect, Faculty Incivility, and Teacher Justice. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The main finding showed that students’ negative emotions were informed by the lockdown condition. This perceived negative affect had an impact on how the participants experienced social interactions with their faculty. Those who exhibited higher levels of negative affect perceived themselves as targets of faculty incivility. The same trajectory was detected with the way students experienced their teachers’ just behavior. Students who held negative emotions, partly because of the COVID-19 restrictions, also viewed their teachers’ behavior toward them as unjust. This study stresses the role of one’s emotional condition in instigating negative interpretations of social interactions. Directions for subsequent research and practical implications for promoting students’ well-being and civil and just communications in the learning environment are discussed.

Who Benefits Most? A Multisite Study of Coaching and Resident Well-being

BACKGROUND

Coaching has been shown to improve resident well-being; however, not all benefit equally.

OBJECTIVE

Assess predictors of changes in resident physician well-being and burnout in a multisite implementation of a Professional Development Coaching Program.

DESIGN

Pre- and post-implementation surveys administered to participant cohorts at implementation sites in their intern year. Effect size was calculated comparing pre- and post-intervention paired data.

PARTICIPANTS

In total, 272 residents in their intern year at five internal medicine residency programs (Boston Medical Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Duke University, Emory University, Massachusetts General Hospital). Analyses included 129 residents with paired data.

INTERVENTIONS

Interns were paired with a faculty coach trained in positive psychology and coaching skills and asked to meet quarterly with coaches.

MAIN MEASURES

Primary outcomes included Maslach Burnout Inventory depersonalization (DP) and emotional exhaustion (EE) subscales, and the PERMA well-being scale. Key predictors included site, demographics, intolerance of uncertainty, hardiness-resilience, gratitude, and coping. Program moderators included were reflection, goal setting, and feedback.

KEY RESULTS

Well-being (PERMA) changed from baseline to follow-up in all participants; females showed a decline and males an increase (-1.41 vs. .83, p = 0.04). Self-reflection was associated with positive change in PERMA (mean positive change 1.93, p = 0.009). Burnout (EE) declined in non-Hispanic white residents vs. Black/Asian/Hispanic/other residents (-1.86, p = 0.021). Burnout improved with increased goal setting.

CONCLUSION

Coaching programs should consider tailored approaches to support residents whose well-being is impacted by gender and/or race, and who have higher intolerance of uncertainty and lower resilience at baseline. Coaching skills of goal setting and reflection may positively affect interns and teach coping skills.

Employee Health and Wellness Outcomes Associated With Perceived Discrimination in Academic Medicine: A Qualitative Analysis

IMPORTANCE

Organizational culture and workplace interactions may enhance or adversely impact the wellness of all members of learning and work environments, yet a nuanced understanding of how such experiences within health care organizations impact the health and wellness of their membership is lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To identify and characterize the reported health and wellness outcomes associated with perceived discrimination among academic medicine faculty, staff, and students.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This qualitative study analyzed anonymously submitted written narratives from 2016 that described experiences related to inclusion in the workplace or lack thereof. Narratives that described health outcomes associated with work- or school-based discrimination were purposively sampled. Participants were faculty, staff, and students at health-related schools or hospitals affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania. Data analysis was performed from March 2019 to January 2020.

EXPOSURES

Self-reported experiences, both witnessed and personal, of discrimination in the workplace.

RESULTS

A total of 315 narratives were collected, and 115 narratives from 115 participants were analyzed. Most respondents identified as female (70 respondents [60.9%]), non-Hispanic White (68 respondents [59.1%]), and heterosexual (89 respondents [77.4%]) and had worked at the institution for at least 1 year (99 respondents [86.0%]). The outcomes associated with adverse workplace experiences were broad and ranged in nature from emotional to mental and physical. Most reported outcomes were emotional (101 respondents [87.8%]), and more than 1 in 10 narratives (14 respondents [12.2%]) described a mental or physical health outcome. Many of the participants felt devaluated, overexerted, and hopeless, resulting in clinically relevant manifestations, such as increased stress and anxiety levels and even elevated blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This qualitative study identified a continuum of negative outcomes on employee health and well-being associated with perceived discrimination and chronic exclusion in the workplace. These findings suggest the need for organizations to promote inclusion as a component of workplace wellness interventions.

Differences in victim experiences by gender/sexual minority statuses in Japanese virtual communities

This study clarified the advantages of virtual communities on non-victim experiences among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) individuals in Japan. A total of 3504 Pigg Party users, including 1390 LGBTQIA individuals, reported their experiences of victimization, perceived emotional support, and concealment of their gender/sexual identity in both physical and virtual communities. Japanese individuals with multiple minority statuses had more victim experiences than those with a single or without minority status. Furthermore, differences in victim experiences by gender/sexual minority status were lower in the virtual community than in physical communities. Similar tendencies were also confirmed on perceived emotional support and concealment. Virtual communities provided a more bias-free social resource to Japanese LGBTQIA individuals than physical communities.

Evaluating changes in workplace culture: Effectiveness of a caregiver-friendly workplace program in a public post-secondary educational institution

BACKGROUND

Workplace experience, defined as the evaluation of the work environment and performance, and a characteristic of workplace culture, can influence an employee's work-life balance. Most carer-employees, who combine paid full-time work and informal caregiving responsibilities, struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Caregiver-Friendly Workplace Programs are designed to improve the work experience, and ultimately, the work-life balance of carer-employees. The purpose of this study is to identify changes in workplace culture through the examination of the efficacy of a caregiver-friendly workplace program on workplace experience. First, we identify whether awareness of a caregiver-friendly workplace program directly increases the amount of work support received and, in turn, improves workplace experience. Second, we will examine if significant differences in the amount of work support received translates into an improved workplace experience for carer-employees over time.

METHODS

Two university-wide online surveys were conducted separately; time 1 (T1) during the summer of 2015, and time 2 (T2), in the summer of 2017. In each survey, nearly 7000 employees received the invitation to participate with a response rate ranging 10% (T1) to 12% (T2). Respondents were asked about their sociodemographic characteristics, caregiving responsibilities (if applicable), awareness of caregiver-friendly workplace program, types of work support received, and work experience. Reliability analyses was conducted for three scales: awareness of caregiver-friendly workplace program; work support, and; workplace experience. Proportional T-tests were used to examine the difference amongst the intervention scales over time. Structural equation modeling (SEM), via path analysis, was used to investigate the causal indirect (awareness of caregiver-friendly workplace program to work support to workplace experience) relationship that define the workplace culture.

RESULTS

No significant changes in workplace culture were found over time. However, awareness of caregiver-friendly workplace programs is shown to positively impact the amount of support received, which sequentially improves workplace experience, and ultimately workplace culture. This therefore suggests that the implementation of caregiver-friendly workplace programs is potentially effective.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that amount of support received, and workplace experience would be better reassessed via a longer time period (i.e., 5 yr. window), and improved support for managers and supervisors is needed to supplement relationships with their employees.

Assessing civility at an academic health science center: Implications for employee satisfaction and well-being

Incivilities are pervasive among workers in healthcare institutions. Previously identified effects include deterioration of employee physical and mental health, absenteeism, burnout, and turnover, as well as reduced patient safety and quality of care. This study documented factors related to organizational civility at an academic health sciences center (AHSC) as the basis for future intervention work. We used a cross-sectional research design to conduct an online survey at four of five campuses of an AHSC. Using the Organizational Civility Scale (OCS), we assessed differences across gender, race (White and non-White) and job type (faculty or staff) in the eleven subscales (frequency of incivility, perceptions of organizational climate, existence of civility resources, importance of civility resources, feelings about current employment, employee satisfaction, sources of stress, coping strategies, overall levels of stress/coping ability, and overall civility rating). Significant gender differences were found in six of the eleven subscales: perception of organizational climate (p < .001), existence of civility resources (p = .001), importance of civility resources (p < .001), frequency of incivilities (p < .001), employee satisfaction (p = .002), and overall civility rating (p = .007). Significant differences between respondents by self-identified race were found only in one subscale: existence of civility resources (p = .048). Significant differences were found between faculty and staff in four subscales: perception of organizational climate (p = .001), importance of civility resources (p = .02), employee satisfaction (p = .01), and overall levels of stress (p = .03). Results suggest that gender and employment type differences exist in the perception of organizational climate at the academic health center, while significant racial differences only occurred in reference to reported existence of civility resources. Attention to these differences should be incorporated into the development of programs to address the problem.

Women Surgeons' Experiences of Interprofessional Workplace Conflict

IMPORTANCE

Gender differences in interprofessional conflict may exist and precipitate differential achievement, wellness, and attrition in medicine.

OBJECTIVE

Although substantial attention and research has been directed toward improving gender equity in surgery and addressing overall physician wellness, research on the role of interprofessional conflict has been limited. The objective of this study was to understand scenarios driving interprofessional conflict involving women surgeons, the implications of the conflict on personal, professional, and patient outcomes, and how women surgeons navigate conflict adjudication.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A qualitative approach was used to explore the nature, implications, and ways of navigating interprofessional workplace conflict experienced by women surgeons. The setting was a national sample of US women surgeons. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit women surgeons in training or practice from annual surgical society meetings. Participants were eligible if they were currently in a surgical training program or surgical practice. Nearly all participants had experienced at least 1 workplace conflict with a nonphysician staff member resulting in a formal write-up.

EXPOSURES

A workplace conflict was defined as any conflict resulting in the nonphysician staff member taking action such as confronting the woman surgeon, reporting the event to supervisors, or filing a formal report.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Interviews were conducted between February 19, 2019, and June 21, 2019. Recordings were transcribed and deidentified. Inductive thematic analysis was used to examine data in relation to the research questions.

RESULTS

Thirty US women surgeons (8 [27%] age 25-34 years, 16 [53%] age 35-44 years, 5 [17%] age 45-54 years, and 1 [3%] age 55-64 years) of varying surgical specialties were interviewed. Conflicts were often reported as due to a breakdown in communication or from performance-related disputes. Participants perceived personal and professional implications including self-doubt, depression, frustration, anxiety, loss of sleep, reputational harms, and delays to advancement. Participants also described potential patient safety implications primarily due to decreased communication resulting from some surgeons being hesitant to engage in subsequent interactions. Participants described a variety of navigation strategies including relationship management, rapport building, and social capital. The success of these processes tended to vary by individual circumstances, including the details of the conflict, practice setting, level of support of leadership, and individual personality of the surgeon.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This qualitative study highlights women surgeons' experiences with interprofessional workplace conflict. Interprofessional culture building, broader dissemination of implicit bias training, and transparent and equitable adjudication systems are potential strategies for avoiding or mitigating the implications of these conflicts.

The impact of work stress on sexual minority employees: Could psychological flexibility be a helpful solution?

In the workplace, people who identify as sexual minorities experience elevated levels of incivility, discrimination, and a general lack of protection from unfair workplace practices. These difficulties can then lead to adverse physical, psychological, and social outcomes. Internalized homonegativity may contribute to these negative outcomes as well. Psychological flexibility has been associated with improved psychological and physical health. The current study is a cross-sectional assessment of adults who identify as sexual minorities (n = 312) examining the relation among work stress, well-being, psychological flexibility, and internalized homonegativity. It was hypothesized that greater work stress would be related to lower well-being, lower psychological flexibility, and higher internalized homonegativity. Further, it was hypothesized that internalized homonegativity and psychological flexibility would mediate the relation between work stress and well-being. Results indicated that psychological flexibility was a significant mediator between work stress and well-being, but internalized homonegativity was not. This suggests that psychological flexibility could be a useful tool for sexual minorities to respond effectively in difficult workplace situations.

Fighting Incivility in the Workplace for Women and for All Workers: The Challenge of Primary Prevention

This article discusses the role of several constructs, such as workplace relational civility (WRC), positive relational management (PRM), and emotional intelligence (EI), as possible primary preventive resources to effectively deal with interpersonal mistreatment in the workplace (i.e., incivility). Since women endure workplace incivility more frequently than men, their well-being is particularly at risk. Thus, the possibilities for further research and primary prevention interventions in line with the achievement of the fifth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) are discussed.

Political identity dissimilarity, workplace incivility, and declines in well-being: A prospective investigation

The workplace is an environment where individuals have little choice about with whom they interact. As such, employees may find themselves engaged in conversations with coworkers whose political opinions and perspectives are divergent from their own. In the present study, we examined how coworkers' (dis)similarity in political identity is related to the quality of their interpersonal interactions and subsequent well-being. We predicted that political identity dissimilarity is associated with experiences of workplace incivility and, in turn, declines in psychological and occupational well-being. We tested our hypotheses in a four-wave survey study conducted during the 2012 U.S. presidential election using structural equation modeling. Consistent with our expectations, results indicated that political identity dissimilarity was associated with increased reports of incivility experiences instigated by coworkers, which, in turn, was associated with increased burnout and turnover intentions and diminished job satisfaction. The relationship between incivility and well-being was mediated by psychological distress. Overall, the findings demonstrate that political identity dissimilarity is detrimentally related to job attitudes and well-being via triggering workplace incivility, which provides meaningful implications for organizations on how to mitigate the negative influences of identity dissimilarity.

The prevalence and factors associated with smoking among lesbian and bisexual women: Analysis of the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey

BACKGROUND

In many countries, sexual minority women smoke at higher rates than their heterosexual counterparts. Analyses tend to combine lesbian and bisexual women, preventing an understanding of relevant factors associated with smoking for each group. This analysis used a representative sample of the Australian population to compare tobacco use between heterosexual, lesbian and bisexual women, and examine factors associated with smoking among these groups.

METHODS

In a secondary analysis of data from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (N = 23,855), descriptive statistics were produced for heterosexual (n = 11,776), lesbian (n = 135) and bisexual (n = 167) women. Multivariate logistic regression modelling was undertaken to assess which factors were associated with current smoking among the different groups.

RESULTS

Compared to heterosexual women, lesbian and bisexual women were more likely to be current smokers (OR 2.9(1.8,4.5) and OR 3.6(2.4, 5.4) respectively). Employment, income and psychological distress were significant factors associated with smoking for lesbian women. Recent illicit drug use was the only significant factor associated with smoking for bisexual women.

CONCLUSIONS

We need to better understand the psychological, social and cultural factors that influence initiation, and sustain smoking among lesbian and bisexual women. Our findings demonstrate that sexual minority women in Australia warrant specific policy attention in a national framework.

Is it always this cold? Chilly interpersonal climates as a barrier to the well-being of early-career women faculty in STEM

Purpose

The purpose of this project was to examine the extent to which early-career women faculty in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) experience working in a chilly interpersonal climate (as indicated by experiences of ostracism and incivility) and how those experiences relate to work and non-work well-being outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Data came from a sample of 96 early-career STEM faculty (Study 1) and a sample of 68 early-career women STEM faculty (Study 2). Both samples completed online surveys assessing their experiences of working in a chilly interpersonal climate and well-being.

Findings

In Study 1, early-career women STEM faculty reported greater experiences of ostracism and incivility and more negative occupational well-being outcomes associated with these experiences compared to early-career men STEM faculty. In Study 2, early-career women STEM faculty reported more ostracism and incivility from their male colleagues than from their female colleagues. Experiences of ostracism (and, to a lesser extent, incivility) from male colleagues also related to negative occupational and psychological well-being outcomes.

Originality/value

This paper documents that exposure to a chilly interpersonal climate in the form of ostracism and incivility is a potential explanation for the lack and withdrawal of junior women faculty in STEM academic fields.

WORKPLACE INCIVILITY EXPERIENCED BY HEALTH ADMINISTRATION FACULTY

Workplace incivility is low-intensity, nonspecific, discourteous behavior towards others and may negatively affect employee and organizational outcomes. This exploratory study sought to examine the prevalence of and factors related to experiencing several different types of workplace incivility using a national sample of Health Administration full-time faculty members in the United States. We found that 27-36% of respondents have experienced at least one type of uncivil behavior from students, coworkers, or supervisors. Further, 4-9% of faculty respondents experience such incidents frequently. Faculty respondents who experienced workplace incivility were significantly more likely to report lower job satisfaction and indicated an intention to leave their position within the next three years. Academic leaders should work to foster an environment where incivility towards others is actively discouraged, as it may contribute to dissatisfaction and turnover.

Is More Always Merrier? Intersectionality as an Antecedent of Job Insecurity

As modern workplace environments are becoming increasingly diverse, the experiences of disenfranchised employees have become a topic of great interest to scholars and business professionals alike. While the experiences of individuals with singular stigmatized identities have been well-established, a dearth of research has assessed how intersectionality, i.e., holding multiple stigmatized identities, combine and intertwine to shape workplace experiences. We contribute to a growing literature on intersectionality by assessing the extent to which employees identifying with multiple stigmatized identities may constitute a risk factor for the experience of job insecurity, a prevalent and potent economic stressor. Additionally, we propose that job insecurity will partially mediate the relationship between intersectionality and a variety of adverse workplace outcomes associated with increased job insecurity perceptions. In order to test these hypotheses, we collected survey data from 449 employed individuals within the United States over two timepoints. Results of the tests of our direct and indirect hypotheses revealed that individuals with more stigmatized identities reported greater perceptions of job insecurity, and intersectionality indirectly affected workplace outcomes via this heightened job insecurity. Our results highlight a new antecedent of job insecurity for consideration and is meant to motivate others to approach diversity-related research questions with multiple identities in mind, in an effort to encapsulate the full spectrum of one’s experience based on their identity makeup.

Ambient workplace heterosexism: Implications for sexual minority and heterosexual employees

This study examined the relationship between ambient workplace heterosexism, emotional reactions (i.e., fear and anger), and outcomes for sexual minority and heterosexual employees. Five hundred thirty-six restaurant employees (68% female, 77% White) completed an online survey assessing the variables of interest. Results showed that greater experiences of ambient workplace heterosexism were associated with heightened fear and anger and, in turn, with heightened psychological distress (for fear) and greater physical health complaints, turnover intentions, and lowered job satisfaction (for anger). Fear also mediated the relationship between ambient workplace heterosexism and psychological distress. In addition, sexual orientation moderated the relationship between ambient workplace heterosexism and fear such that sexual minority employees reported more fear than heterosexuals with greater ambient heterosexism. These effects occurred after controlling for personal experiences of interpersonal discrimination. Our findings suggest that ambient workplace heterosexism can be harmful to all employees, not only sexual minorities or targeted individuals.

Beyond Blaming the Victim: Toward a More Progressive Understanding of Workplace Mistreatment

Theories of human aggression can inform research, policy, and practice in organizations. One such theory, victim precipitation, originated in the field of criminology. According to this perspective, some victims invite abuse through their personalities, styles of speech or dress, actions, and even their inactions. That is, they are partly at fault for the wrongdoing of others. This notion is gaining purchase in industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology as an explanation for workplace mistreatment. The first half of our article provides an overview and critique of the victim precipitation hypothesis. After tracing its history, we review the flaws of victim precipitation as catalogued by scientists and practitioners over several decades. We also consider real-world implications of victim precipitation thinking, such as the exoneration of violent criminals. Confident that I-O can do better, the second half of this article highlights alternative frameworks for researching and redressing hostile work behavior. In addition, we discuss a broad analytic paradigm—perpetrator predation—as a way to understand workplace abuse without blaming the abused. We take the position that these alternative perspectives offer stronger, more practical, and more progressive explanations for workplace mistreatment. Victim precipitation, we conclude, is an archaic ideology. Criminologists have long since abandoned it, and so should we.