Factors associated with responses to sexual harassment and satisfaction with outcome

This study examined contextual and behavioral factors and types of responses to sexual harassment in relation to harassed employees' satisfaction with the outcome of sexual harassment situations. Subjects were 105 male and female faculty and staff members (89.5% Caucasian; 5.7% multiethnic/multicultural; 4.8% unspecified) employed by a midwestern university who reported experiencing unwanted sexual attention on the job. Results undicated that employees responded more strongly to unwanted sexual behavior if they perceived it as sexual harassment and if they perceived their work climate as encouraging the problem. Harassed employees' gender, power, and perceptions of the work climate were all associated with their satisfaction with the situation outcome. Although making a formal or informal complaint was not associated with greater satisfaction, talking to the harasser without using aggressive communication strategies increased the likelihood of a satisfactory outcome for the employee. Talking to family or friends, a response used by women more often than men, was associated with dissatisfaction. Suggestions for further research are discussed.This research was primarily funded by the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The authors gratefully acknowledge the research assistance of Jami Winters, Gena Ritter, Sarah Holmes, Kim Gangwish, and Mary Lou Costanzo.