Exploring the organizational drivers of sexual harassment: empowered jobs against isolation and tolerant climates

Purpose This paper aims to investigate and identify the organizational drivers of sexual harassment. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on data from a representative sample of workers in Spain, this article sheds light on the likelihood of sexual harassment influenced by (i) organizational environment and climate, (ii) organizational forms and structure, and (iii) job design parameters. Findings The analysis reveals that organizational climates where negative behaviors are tolerated are particularly advantageous for harassers. Furthermore, the profile of the victims of sexual harassment is that they work in isolation, are contracted through employment agencies, are not given training opportunities, and have low status in the firm. Analysis also reveals, however, that firms can reduce the risk of sexual harassment by empowering jobs and improving time flexibility. Research limitations/implications The use of secondary data implies some constrains: the type of measure and the failure to control for the rol...