A Target-Centered Approach to Examining Confronations of Sexism: Identifying Dimensions and Exploring Impact
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Although the effects of confronting sexism have been examined in the past, no research to date has demonstrated the most common dimensions along which confrontations of sexism differ. Furthermore, previous research has neglected to examine how different forms of sexism confrontations may differentially impact the workplace experiences of female targets experiencing these sexist actions. Thus, the goal of the proposed two-part study is to examine how confrontations of sexism commonly differ and the workplace implications of these differences. For the first study, data were collected from 348 individuals recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) who had witnessed a sexist encounter in the workplace that was subsequently confronted. Using conventional content analysis, it was found that the most common differences in confrontations of sexism included the identity of the confronter, the tone of the confrontation, the location of the confrontation, the number of confronters, and the timing of the confrontation. In order to test the outcomes of these differences, I assessed the job stress, turnover intentions, perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, and psychological workplace diversity climate of women targets following instances of sexism that were either confronted or not. This study will aid researchers in understanding the dimensionality of sexism confrontations as well as the relationship between these dimensions and important workplace outcomes. This study will also provide useful information for practitioners intent on educating allies and targets on the best ways to confront sexism at work.
Citation
Dray, Kelly Kristen Lee (2019). A Target-Centered Approach to Examining Confronations of Sexism: Identifying Dimensions and Exploring Impact. Master's thesis, Texas A & M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /185067.