Browsing by Subject "power-approach theory"

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    Power and sex-based harassment among LGBQs
    (2022-01-01) Dinh, Tuyen K.; Stockdale, Margaret S.
    Abstract Much of the sex-based harassment (SBH) literature to date focuses on the experiences of heterosexual White women (Brassel et al., 2020). Hence, researchers attempting to understand the motivation of perpetrators of such incidences are often from heterosexual samples, where men harass women to maintain or gain power (e.g., Berdahl, 2007). This leads to the absence of perspectives from historically oppressed groups, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (LGBQ) identifying persons. In this paper, we seek to further understand whether power, which is often conceptualized as a key antecedent to sex-based harassment, is also a motivating factor among LGBQ persons. The purpose of this study was to examine two forms of power (egocentric vs responsibility) on increasing sex-based harassment tendencies through feeling states evoked by their respective power types. Results indicate that power effects sex-based harassment tendencies in similar ways as found in heterosexual samples. Specifically, egocentric and responsibility focused power increased SBH through sexy-powerful feelings, moderated by trait dominance, and responsibility-focused power increased SBH through communal feelings. These data provide support for generalizing a theory of SBH intentions to LGBQ populations and we provide recommendations for HR managers.
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    When “Good People” Sexually Harass: The Role of Power and Moral Licensing on Sexual Harassment Perceptions and Intentions
    (Springer, 2022-06-01) Dinh, Tuyen K.; Mikalouski, Laurel; Stockdale, Margaret S.
    History has shown that people who embody responsibility-focused power have been credibly accused of sexual harassment. Drawing from power-approach and moral licensing theories, we present two complementary studies examining how responsibility-focused power triggers moral licensing, which, in turn, decreases perceptions of sexual harassment (Study 1) and increases intentions to engage in sexual harassment (Study 2). In Study 1, 365 participants read a scenario of a man embodying responsibility-focused power, self-focused power, or low power (control) and then read a case about the man’s alleged sexual harassment against a subordinate. Findings illustrated that moral crediting mediated the effect of power construal on false accusation judgments. In Study 2, 250 participants were primed to experience responsibility-focused power or low power. Responsibility-focused power increased sexual harassment intentions through effects on communal feelings and moral crediting. Based on these findings, we develop a new theoretical perspective on why sexual harassment occurs and why people deny perceiving it. We provide practical recommendations to organizational leaders for developing interventions, such as training, that may disrupt effects of power and moral licensing on sexual harassment intentions, and we encourage public discourse on the harms of harassment that supposed “good people” commit.