Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Interpersonal Mistreatment of Women in the Workplace

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the work included in the special issue: Interpersonal Mistreatment of Women in the Workplace. In doing so, the authors develop a multilevel conceptual model, illustrating how the research included in the special issue address causes and consequences of interpersonal mistreatment at the micro, meso, and macro-level of analysis. In addition, the integrated model demonstrates how factors at different levels both influence and are influenced by those at other levels of analysis. Based on this collective work, the authors encourage researchers interested in addressing the mistreatment and marginalization of less powerful groups to consider the multilevel causes and consequences of such behavior. It is only through holistic examinations that researchers can we fully understand this insidious problem and encourage people—whether likely targets of mistreatment or not—to take a stand to end this treatment in workplaces and other society as a whole.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acker, J. (1990). Hierarchies, jobs, bodies: A theory of gendered organizations. Gender & Society, 4, 139–158. doi:10.1177/089124390004002002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Acker, J. (2006). Inequality regimes gender, class, and race in organizations. Gender & Society, 20, 441–464. doi:10.1177/0891243206289499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barling, J., Rogers, A. G., & Kelloway, E. K. (2001). Behind closed doors: In-home workers’ experience of sexual harassment and workplace violence. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 6, 255–269. doi:10.1037/1076-8998.6.3.255.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barratt, C. L., Bergman, M. E., & Thompson, R. J. (2014). Women in federal law enforcement: The role of gender role orientations and sexual orientation in mentoring. Sex Roles. this issue. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0388-2.

  • Benavides-Espinoza, C., & Cunningham, G. B. (2010a). Bystanders’ reactions to sexual harassment. Sex Roles, 63, 201–213. doi:10.1007/s11199-010-9781-d.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benavides-Espinoza, C., & Cunningham, G. B. (2010b). Observers’ reporting of sexual harassment: The influence of harassment type, organizational culture, and political orientation. Public Organization Review, 10, 323–337. doi:10.1007/s11115-009-0109-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berdahl, J. L., & Raver, J. L. (2011). Sexual harassment. In S. Zedeck (Ed.), APA Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 3, pp. 641–669). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, D. K. S., Lam, B. C., Chow, S. Y., & Cheung, S. F. (2008). Examining the job-related, psychological, and physical outcomes of workplace sexual harassment: A meta-analytic review. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32, 362–376. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.00451.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chui, C. W., & Dietz, J. (2014). Observing workplace incivility towards women: The roles of target reactions, actor motives, and actor-target relationships. Sex Roles. this issue. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0367-7.

  • Cortina, L. M. (2008). Unseen injustice: Incivility as modern discrimination in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 33, 55–75. doi:10.5465/AMR.2008.27745097.

  • Cortina, L. M., Kabat-Farr, D., Leskinen, E. A., Huerta, M., & Magley, V. J. (2013). Selective incivility as modern discrimination in organizations: Evidence and impact. Journal of Management, 39, 1579–1605. doi:10.1177/014920631141835.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, G. B. (2008). Creating and sustaining gender diversity in sport organizations. Sex Roles, 58, 136–145. doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9312-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, G. B., Miner, K., & Benavides-Espinoza, C. (2012). Emotional reactions to observing misogyny: Examining the roles of gender, forecasting, political orientation, and religiosity. Sex Roles, 67, 58–68. doi:10.1007/s11199-012-0121-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ely, R. J., & Meyerson, D. E. (2000). Theories of gender in organizations: A new approach to organizational analysis and change. Research in Organizational Behavior, 22, 103–151. doi:10.1016/S0191-3085(00)22004-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, M. (2012). You cannot leave it at the office: Spillover and crossover of coworker incivility. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33, 571–588. doi:10.1002/job.774.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glomb, T. M., Richman, W. L., Hulin, C. L., Drasgow, F., Schneider, K. T., & Fitzgerald, L. F. (1997). Ambient sexual harassment: An integrated model of antecedents and consequences. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 71, 309–328. doi:10.1006/obhd.1997.2728.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutek, B. A. (1985). Sex and the workplace: The impact of sexual behavior and harassment of women, men, and organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hitlan, R. T., Schneider, K. T., & Walsh, B. M. (2006). Upsetting behavior: Reactions to personal and bystander sexual harassment experiences. Sex Roles, 55, 187–195. doi:10.1007/s11199-006-9072-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ilies, R., Hauserman, N., Schwochau, S., & Stibal, J. (2003). Reported incidence rates of work-related sexual harassment in the United States: Using meta-analysis to explain reported rate disparities. Personnel Psychology, 56, 607–631. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.2003.tb00752.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Klein, K. J. (2000). A multilevel approach to theory and research in organizations: Contextual, temporal, and emergent processes. In K. J. Klein & S. W. J. Kozlowski (Eds.), Multilevel theory, research, and methods in organizations: Foundations, extensions, and new directions (pp. 3–90). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45, 79–122. doi:10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lim, S., & Lee, A. (2011). Work and non-work outcomes of workplace incivility: Does family support help? Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16, 95–111. doi:10.1037/a0021726.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lim, S., Cortina, L. M., & Magley, V. J. (2008). Personal and workgroup incivility, impact on work and health outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 95–107. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.93.1.95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, P. Y. (2003). “Said and done” versus “saying and doing” gendering practices, practicing gender at work. Gender & Society, 17, 342–366. doi:10.1177/0891243203017003002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, P. Y. (2006). Practising gender at work: Further thoughts on reflexivity. Gender Work & Organization, 13, 254–276. doi:10.1007/s11199-011-0108-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miner, K. N., & Eischeid, A. (2012). Observing incivility toward coworkers and negative emotions: Do gender of the target and observer matter? Sex Roles, 66, 492–505. doi:10.1007/s11199-011-0108-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miner, K. N., Settles, I. H., Pratt-Hyatt, J., & Brady, C. (2012). Experiencing incivility in organizations: The buffering effects of emotional and organizational support. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42, 340–372. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2011.00891.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miner-Rubino, K., & Cortina, L. M. (2007). Beyond targets: Consequences of vicarious exposure to misogyny at work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1254–1269. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.5.1254.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morganson, V. J., & Major, D. A. (2014). Exploring retaliation as a coping strategy in response to customer sexual harassment. Sex Roles. this issue. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0373-9.

  • Pearson, C., & Porath, C. (2009). The cost of bad behavior: How incivility is damaging your business and what to do about it. New York, NY: Portfolio.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, S. L., Wang, W., & Kiewitz, C. (2014). Coworkers behaving badly: The impact of coworker deviant behavior upon individual employees. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1, 123–143. doi:10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Settles, I. H., & O’Connor, R. C. (2014). Incivility at academic conferences: Gender differences and the mediating role of climate. Sex Roles. this issue. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0355-y.

  • Sliter, M., Boyd, E., Sinclair, R., Cheung, J., & McFadden, A. (2014). Inching toward inclusiveness: Diversity climate, interpersonal conflict and well-being in women nurses. Sex Roles. this issue. doi:10.1007/s11199-013-0337-5.

  • Stockdale, M. S., Logan, T. K., Sliter, K. A., & Berry, S. A. (2014). Interpersonal violence victimization and sexual harassment: A prospective study of revictimization. Sex Roles. this issue. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0377-5.

  • Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tingle, J. K., Warner, S., & Sartore-Baldwin, M. L. (2014). The experience of former women officials and the impact on the sporting community. Sex Roles. this issue. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0366-8.

  • Van de Griend, K. M., & Messias, D. K. H. (2014). Expanding the conceptualization of workplace violence: Implications for research, policy, and practice. Sex Roles. this issue. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0353-0.

  • Willness, C. R., Steel, P., & Lee, K. (2007). A meta-analysis of the antecedents and consequences of workplace sexual harassment. Personnel Psychology, 60, 127–162. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.2007.00067.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University, 4222 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-4222, USA

    George B. Cunningham

  2. Psychology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Mindy E. Bergman

  3. Psychology Department and Women’s and Gender Studies, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Kathi N. Miner

Authors
  1. George B. Cunningham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mindy E. Bergman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kathi N. Miner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to George B. Cunningham.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cunningham, G.B., Bergman, M.E. & Miner, K.N. Interpersonal Mistreatment of Women in the Workplace. Sex Roles 71, 1–6 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0398-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0398-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation