TY - JOUR
T1 - Organisational characteristics that facilitate gender-based violence and harassment in Higher Education?
AU - O'Connor, Pat
AU - Hodgins, Margaret
AU - Woods, Dorian R.
AU - Wallwaey, Elisa
AU - Palmen, Rachel
AU - Van Den Brink, Marieke
AU - Kalpazidou Schmidt, Evanthia
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Gender incompetent leadership
KW - Gender-based violence and harassment
KW - Higher education
KW - Intersectionality
KW - Male dominated hierarchical structures
KW - Neoliberal managerialism
KW - Organisational approach
KW - Power
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120361017&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/admsci11040138
DO - 10.3390/admsci11040138
M3 - Journal article
SN - 2076-3387
VL - 11
JO - Administrative Sciences
JF - Administrative Sciences
IS - 4
M1 - 138
ER -