Sex Role Spillover Research Articles

The effect of gender on transformational leadership and job satisfaction among Saudi nurses

To compare nurses' job satisfaction and perceptions of transformational leadership style of their manager among four different nurse/manager gender dyads in Saudi Arabia. Women and men differ on many behavioural characteristics and are influenced by the cultural environment. Understanding these differences may have an impact on leadership behaviours and job satisfaction. A descriptive analysis of one-time survey data collected in 2011 from Saudi nurses employed in six general public hospitals located in three cities. Three hundred and eight (51.3%) of 600 Saudi nurses solicited to participate completed anonymous questionnaires that measured their job satisfaction and perceptions of transformational leadership style of their manager. Factorial ANOVA tested the main effects of gender of the nurse, gender of the manager and the interaction term on the nurse's job satisfaction, and perceived transformational leadership style of their manager. These analyses indicated a main effect of gender of the manager on both job satisfaction and perceived transformational leadership style of the manager (p<.05) with no significant effect of the gender of the nurse or the interaction term on these variables. Post hoc analysis indicated that nurses regardless of their gender reported higher job satisfaction and perceived transformational leadership style of their manager when their manager was male. These findings contrast with what other researchers have reported that nurse job satisfaction and perceived leadership characteristics of their manager are independent of the gender of the manager. These perceptions of Saudi nurses may be a result of "sex-role spillover" in a male-dominated, gender-segregated society.

Sex-based harassment in employment: New insights into gender and context.

Legal definitions of sex-based harassment have evolved over the decades; it is important that social science perspectives on this phenomenon evolve as well. This study seeks to refine our understanding of conditions in which sex-based harassment thrives, with empirical evidence from three organizations. Previous research has suggested that underrepresentation of one's gender in the employment context increases risk for sex-based harassment. This work has focused mainly on sexual-advance forms of harassment, mainly in the lives of women. Less is known about the gender harassment of women, or about any kind of harassment of men. Extending this scholarship, we analyzed survey data from women and men working in three diverse domains: academia (N = 847), the court system (N = 1,158), and the military (N = 19,960). Across all samples, the underrepresentation of women in a workgroup related to increased odds of women experiencing gender harassment, but not sexual-advance harassment. For men, the opposite pattern emerged: underrepresentation did not increase men's risk for either type of harassment, instead relating to decreased odds of harassment in some contexts. We interpret these results in light of theories of tokenism, gender stereotyping, and sex role spillover in organizations. Our findings support the recommendation that, to reduce harassment (whether it be illegal or legal, gender- or sexuality-based, targeted at women or men), organizations should strive for gender balance in every job at every level. For male-dominated contexts, this implies a need to recruit, retain, and integrate more women throughout the organizational hierarchy.

What's Gender Got to Do with It? Incivility in the Federal Courts

The current study examines experiences of interpersonal mistreatment in federal litigation among a random sample of 4,608 practicing attorneys. Using both quantitative and qualitative survey data, we documented the nature and interplay of general incivility, gender-related incivility, and unwanted sexual attention. Nearly 75% of female attorneys had experienced some form of this misconduct in the previous five years, compared to half of male attorneys. An in-depth examination of instigators revealed that not only fellow attorneys but also federal judges, court personnel, marshals, and court security officers instigated the inappropriate behavior. We further found that most attorneys responded to this mistreatment with avoidance and denial; few used or trusted existing reporting mechanisms. The current study surpassed simple prevalence estimates to document effects of interpersonal mistreatment on the professional well-being of targeted attorneys. We discuss implications of these results, drawing on theories of social dominance, sex-role spillover, cognitive stress, organizations, and intervention.

Sexual harassment: identifying risk factors.

A new model of the etiology of sexual harassment, the four-factor model, is presented and compared with several models of sexual harassment including the biological model, the organizational model, the sociocultural model, and the sex role spillover model. A number of risk factors associated with sexually harassing behavior are examined within the framework of the four-factor model of sexual harassment. These include characteristics of the work environment (e.g., sexist attitudes among co-workers, unprofessional work environment, skewed sex ratios in the workplace, knowledge of grievance procedures for sexual harassment incidents) as well as personal characteristics of the subject (e.g., physical attractiveness, job status, sex-role). Subjects were 266 university female faculty, staff, and students who completed the Sexual Experience Questionnaire to assess the experience of sexual harassment and a questionnaire designed to assess the risk factors stated above. Results indicated that the four-factor model is a better predictor of sexual harassment than the alternative models. The risk factors most strongly associated with sexual harassment were an unprofessional environment in the workplace, sexist atmosphere, and lack of knowledge about the organization's formal grievance procedures.

ASPECTS OF DISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT OF WOMEN POLICE OFFICERS SERVING IN FORCES IN ENGLAND AND WALES

Discriminatory treatment is defined in terms of limited job related opportunities and exposure to sexual harassment. The structural status of women police in England and Wales in terms of rank and role is described by reference to secondary analysis of national data from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. This reveals limited access of women officers to higher rank and specialist roles. Differential deployment and sexual harassment are explored by means of a questionnaire survey conducted in several British police forces. Results indicate widespread exposure to harassment and other forms of discriminatory treatment. The persistence of discrimination is demonstrated by reference to recent surveys by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and policemen's resistance to women colleagues is discussed in terms ofoccupational culture. Some elaboration of the sex-role spillover thesis is offered in the light of policewomen's experiences.

Refining Sex-Role Spillover Theory: The Role of Gender Subtypes and Harasser Attributions

A refined model of sex-role spillover theory (SRST), which posits a role for gender subtypes and harasser motivations in understanding perceptions of sexual harassment, is tested. Fifty male and 61 female undergraduates were asked to assess female targets on stereotypic characteristics, and to make attributions of harasser motivations for six scenarios describing three types of harassment (unwanted sexual attention, gender harassment, sexual coercion) at two levels of severity (nonphysical and physical) toward women in two different types of occupations (traditional and nontraditional). As predicted, scenarios about traditionally and nontraditionally employed female targets elicited different gender subtypes and different attributions of harasser motivations, depending on the type of sexual harassment experienced. Theoretical implications of this research are discussed.

Challenges in cross‐gender mentoring relationships: psychological intimacy, myths, rumours, innuendoes and sexual harassment

Explores the roles of sexuality and intimacy in cross‐gender mentoring relationships. Today’s leaders are concerned about controlling sexuality and intimacy in cross‐gender work relationships and there is an increased awareness of the sexual harassment aspect of sexuality in today’s society. Describes sexuality and intimacy in cross‐gender mentoring relationships and explores the sex role spillover model’s explanation for sexuality in these relationships. Views sexuality and intimacy in cross‐gender mentoring relationships along a continuum ranging from non‐sexual, psychologically intimate relationships to the extreme of sexual harassment. Includes mentors’, protégés’ and co‐workers’ perceptions of sexuality and intimacy in cross‐gender mentoring relationships in this discussion along with the impact of these perceptions on cross‐gender mentoring relationships. Finally, considers ways to manage sexuality and intimacy in cross‐gender mentoring relationships.

Antecedents and work-related correlates of reported sexual harassment: An empirical investigation of competing hypotheses

This study investigated antecedents and work-related correlates of reported sexual harassment by 365 primarily Caucasian women in male-typed, female-typed, and gender-integrated occupations. Two competing hypotheses on the antecedents of sexual harassment were tested. No support was found for the “contact hypothesis,” which holds that harassment is related to contact with the opposite gender. Partial support was found for the “sex role spillover” model, which holds that harassment is due to the transfer of gender roles to the workplace. No significant differences in reports of sexual harassment were found between women in male-typed, female-typed, and gender-integrated occupations. Within male-typed occupations, blue-collar women reported greater harassment than white-collar women, but were less likely to display assertive reactions to harassment. Investigation of work-related outcomes revealed that sexual harassment was positively related to reports of gender discrimination in promotion and employment practices, and had a negative impact on job satisfaction, particularly among blue-collar women. Theoretical implications of these results are discussed and a revision of the sex role spillover model is presented.

Män i vård- och omsorgsyrken—ett steg mot jämställdhet

Robertsson, Hans (1993). Men in health care organizations—a step toward equal rights. Nordisk Psykologi, 45, 255–273. The studies of gender have mainly departed from two different perspectives. One holds that gender is a product of early childhood experiences. The other puts the divided power system in focus. Both perspectives must be taken under consideration if we want to gain more knowledge about this issue. To study men in professions dominated by women in a dialectic manner means that your focus is on the differences between the sexes and your search is for consequenses in the organization. This can be done by analysing the gender neutral characteristics of the formal organization and comparing it with the gendered informal organization. We are in lack of knowledge about sex role spillover in women dominated professions and therefore it is important to obtain more knowledge about mens' experiences of their professional role in health care organizations. There is a call for exploring the interplay between the organizational culture, the gender system and the work organization.

The role of cosmetics in attributions about sexual harassment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cosmetics use on attributions concerning the likelihood of provoking sexual harassment and of being sexually harassed. Subjects were 85 female and 76 male undergraduate volunteers. The study was a 3×2 between-subjects design with three levels of cosmetics use (heavy, moderate, no cosmetics) and two levels of sex of subject (male, female). Each subject viewed one of three colored photographs of a model wearing either heavy, moderate, or no cosmetics, and then indicated how likely the model was to provoke sexual harassment and to be sexually harassed. Data were analyzed using analyses of variance and the Newman-Keuls test. When the model wore heavy cosmetics, she was rated as more likely to provoke sexual harassment than when she wore moderate cosmetics. Similarly, when the model wore moderate cosmetics, she was rated as significantly more likely to provoke sexual harassment than when she was not wearing cosmetics. When the model wore either heavy or moderate cosmetics, she was also rated as more likely to be sexually harassed than when she did not wear cosmetics. In addition, male subjects rated the model as more likely to provoke and to be sexually harassed than did female subjects. Results are discussed in terms of sex role spillover.

Sex Ratios, Sex Role Spillover, and Sex at Work: A Comparison of Men's and Women's Experiences

Sex-role spillover is the carryover of gender-based roles into the work setting. It is exacerbated by having a highly skewed ratio of the sexes at work. The sex roles associated with the majority sex become incorporated into the work roles. In male-dominated jobs, activity, rationality, and aggressiveness are emphasized, whereas nurturance and passivity are associated with “women's work. “ The implications of sex-role spillover for sexual behavior at work was investigated through analysis of a telephone survey of working adults in Los Angeles County in 1980. Sex-role spillover affects people in traditional work by having their sex role and work role merged together, and affects people in nontraditional work by the fact that they are a visible minority and their sex does not correspond to the sex roles normally associated with their jobs. In the case of sexual behavior at work, the fallout of sex role spillover is more visibly negative for women than for men. Very few men work in nontraditional or integrated jobs. Women in traditional jobs who work a great deal with men face the problem of being seen by the men as sex objects. Women in nontraditional jobs face the problems of being visible role deviants and attract sexual overtures. Sex role spillover is not a major problem in integrated jobs because the sex ratios are fairly balanced and, hence, neither male nor female sex roles are emphasized. Therefore, there is little sexual harassment in sex-integrated jobs.