Organisational Characteristics That Facilitate Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in Higher Education?

Elisa Wallwaey,Rachel Palmen,Marieke Van Den Brink,Evanthia Kalpazidou Schmidt,Margaret Hodgins,Dorian R Woods,Pat O’Connor

doi:10.3390/admsci11040138

Abstract

Gender-based violence and sexual harassment (GBVH) by and towards academics and students has been under-theorised at an organisational level in higher education institutions (HEIs). The methodology involves a critical review of the literature on GBVH and organizational responses to it, locating it in the context of an analysis of organizational power. The theoretical perspective involves a focus on power and workplace bullying. It identifies three power-related characteristics of academic environments which it is suggested facilitate GBVH: their male-dominant hierarchical character; their neoliberal managerialist ethos and gender/intersectional incompetent leadership which perpetuates male entitlement and toxic masculinities. These characteristics also inhibit tackling GBVH by depicting it as an individual problem, encouraging informal coping and militating against the prosecution of perpetrators. Initiating a discussion and action at organizational and state levels about GBVH as a power-related phenomenon, challenging the dominant neo-liberal ethos and the hierarchical character of HEIs, as well as reducing their male dominance and increasing the gender competence of those in positions of power are seen as initial steps in tackling the problem.

Highlights

With a small number of notable exceptions, the question of whether the organizational characteristics of higher educational institutions (HEIs) facilitate gender-based violence (GBVH) is rarely asked
The methodology involves a critical review of the literature on Gender-based violence and sexual harassment (GBVH) and organizational responses to it, locating it in the context of an analysis of organizational power
GBVH by and between academics and students has been recognised in HEIs but has been under-theorised from an organisational power perspective

Summary

Introduction

With a small number of notable exceptions, the question of whether the organizational characteristics of higher educational institutions (HEIs) facilitate gender-based violence (GBVH) is rarely asked In this theoretical article, we identify those organizational characteristics that we suggest facilitate GBVH i.e., behaviour ‘that is not necessarily sexual in nature but is targeted at individuals or a group of individuals because (sic) of their sex or gender’ It is affected by the relational (micro) level in terms of the categorical identity of the victim and the actions and reactions of those in the victim’s immediate environment (Kirkner et al 2020) These affect the interpretation of events and are influenced by the behaviour itself, and by the relationship between the perpetrator and survivor; the gender, race, sexual identity, career stage and position of the harasser and the victim/survivor; the situation, including the perceived intent of the perpetrator and the perceived consequences of identifying and reporting it, and the perceptions and actions of bystanders (Gutek 2012). It underlines the importance of seeing GBVH as reflecting organisational characteristics, identifies these characteristics and legitimates the importance of recognizing and tackling the manifestations of these power inequalities

Methodology and Theoretical Perspective

The Nature of the Academic Context: A Facilitator for GBVH?

Male Dominant Hierarchies

Neoliberal Managerialist Ethos

Findings

Summary and Conclusions