Job-client gender context and sexual harassment vulnerability within the hotel sector

Mensah, Christopher

doi:10.1080/15256480.2019.1692756

Cited by 18 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…However, our qualitative study results will lead us to the contextual de nition in our study area's hospitality workplaces. Currently, the literature provides convincing evidence for the persistence and pervasiveness of WSH [10][11][12][13]. WSH against women can have overwhelming effects on women's safety, health, well-being, and, ultimately, their work [2,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception and Experiences of Sexual Harassment among Women Working in Hospitality Workplaces of Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia: A qualitative study

Worke

Koricha

Debelew

2020

Preprint

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Background: Workplace sexual harassment is a public health problem that depends on gender, context, and perceivers ideology. Though studies documented the prevalence and consequences worldwide, the perception, experience, risk, and effects on victims are still at an earlier stage and not well understood in low and middle-income countries, particularly Ethiopia. The issue is worsened among women employees in the hospitality workplace that comprises hotels, bars, restaurants, fast-food establishments, and cafeterias. Hence, this study aimed to explore workplace sexual harassment perception and experience among women in these workplaces.Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted from January 1 to August 30, 2019. Data were collected from women employees, managers, cashiers, and customers from several hospitality workplaces in the Bahir Dar City. The data were collected through focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and key-informant interviews. Women who experienced sexual harassment were selected using the snowball method, and the key informants were recruited purposefully until the data theoretically saturated. Key informants who were supposed to give adequate information to study objectives were selected. The selection process was based on their responsibility concerning women working in hospitality workplaces. Data were analyzed via the thematic analysis approach using the ATLAS ti version 8.4.24 software package. Results: In this study, six focus group discussions, ten in-depth interviews, and thirteen key informant interviews were conducted. The majority of the participants perceived that sexual harassment is pressuring, threatening, touching, abducting for sexual advances; and experienced verbal, physical, and non-verbal forms. Similarly, the perceived risk factors were organization related, customer-related, victim-related; and the consequences were work-related, health-related, finance-related, and family undermining.Conclusions: Workplace sexual harassment in hospitality workplaces was poorly understood but widely experienced by women. It was also caused by multiple factors and affected both organizational and individual-level factors. Awareness creation campaigns, pre-service education, and in-service training, prevention, and rehabilitation are needed. Likewise, organizational policies and strategies should have to be developed and implemented.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception and Experiences of Sexual Harassment among Women Working in Hospitality Workplaces of Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia: A qualitative study

Worke

Koricha

Debelew

2020

Preprint

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“…Currently, the literature provides convincing evidence for the persistence and pervasiveness of WSH [6][7][8][9]. WSH against women can have overwhelming effects on women's safety, health, well-being, and, ultimately, their participation in the work [2,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the embodiments of WSH is in the hospitality workplace [2,8,9]. Given the increasing number of hospitality industries and the enrolment of more women than men, there is a growing concern that WSH may be increasing in prevalence and severity of its impacts [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception, Experiences, Risks, and Effects of Sexual Harassment Among Women Working in Hospitality Workplaces of Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study

Worke¹,

Debelew²,

Koricha³

2020

Preprint

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Background: Sexual harassment is a public health problem that depends on gender, context, and perceivers ideology. Though it grasped attention worldwide, the perception, experience, risk, and effects of sexual harassment on victims are still uncertain. Mainly, in hospitality workplaces, women employees are disproportionately victims of sexual harassment. However, the issue is at an early stage in low and middle-income countries and Ethiopia in particular. Thus, this study was aimed to explore the perception, experience, perceived risks, and effects of sexual harassment against women working in the hospitality workplaces.Methods: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study from January 1 to August 30, 2019. Data were collected from women employees, managers, cashiers, and customers. We applied a semi-structured focus group and in-depth interview discussion guides. Women employees were selected using the snowball method, and we recruited the key informants purposefully until the data theoretically saturated. Key informants who were supposed to give adequate information to study objectives were selected. The selection process of the key informants was based on their responsibility concerning women working in hospitality workplaces. Data were analyzed via the thematic analysis approach with the help of ATLAS ti version 8.4.24 software package. Results: Forty-five women, five managers, four cashiers, and four customers were included in the study. Perceptions, experiences, perceived risk factors, and consequences of workplace sexual harassment were identified. The majority of the participants lack awareness about workplace sexual harassment. The experiences were verbal, physical, visual, and gender-related forms of sexual harassment. The perceived risk factors of sexual harassment were organization related, customer-related, and victim-related. The consequences were work-related, health-related, and financial and family undermining.Conclusions: Sexual harassment is poorly understood but widely experienced by women working in hospitality workplaces. It was also caused by multiple factors and affected both organizations and individuals. Awareness creation campaigns, pre-service education, and in-service training, prevention, and rehabilitation of the victims are needed. Likewise, organizational policies and strategies should have to be developed and implemented.

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“…In short, workplace sexual harassment (WSH) is a condition of an unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favors, or hostile verbal or physical conduct that affects one's work performance or employment [7,8]. Currently, the literature provides convincing evidence for the persistence and pervasiveness of WSH [8][9][10][11]. WSH against women can have overwhelming effects on women's safety, health, well-being, and, ultimately, their participation in the work [8,12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the embodiments of WSH is in the hospitality workplace [10][11][12]. Given the increasing number of hospitality industries and the enrolment of more women than men, there is a growing concern that WSH may be increasing in prevalence and severity of its impacts [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping Strategies and Perceived Barriers of women hospitality workplaces employees to sexual harassment in Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia: A Ground Theory Approach

Worke

Debelew

Koricha

2020

Preprint

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Background: Coping strategies of sexual harassment are determined by the person, environment, and cognitive reappraisal. Consequently, the issue of how women victims cope with the problem is still unsettled worldwide. Women were disproportionately victims of sexual harassment in the hospitality industries, and the issue of response is at an earlier phase in low and middle-income countries, and particularly in Ethiopia. Thus, this study was aimed to develop a context speciﬁc and data-driven coping strategy framework for sexual harassment victimization against women working in the hospitality workplaces.Methods: We conducted a qualitative, grounded theory approach to guide the study process. The data were collected from women, managers, cashiers, and customers. We use a semi-structured, specific audience, and focus group discussion guides. A constant comparative approach was used to summarize data and describe meanings. ATLAS. ti version 8.4.24 software package was used for data coding categorizing, and visualizing networks.Results: The analysis provided a context speciﬁc coping strategic framework, which consists of, closely interconnected, four dimensions practiced by women hospitality employees. The dimensions were normalization, engagement, help-seeking, and detachment with the respective barriers. The normalization dimension encompasses silence, acceptance, denial, refusal, grief, and tolerance. Likewise, the engagement dimension consists of confrontation, negotiation, retaliation/threatening, and discrimination of the perpetrators. The help-seeking dimension also involves elements such as discussing with friends, complaining to supervisors, consulting professionals, and accusing the perpetrators. Finally, the detachment dimension entails job-hopping, job withdrawal, work withdrawal, and distancing. A variety of barriers deterred all dimensions. However, normalization was facilitated by some factors, and adverse outcomes ended the engagement dimension of coping.Conclusion: The sexual harassment coping capacities of women employees have been unclear, which left no whole for the stakeholders to intervene. The new coping strategic framework can serve as a valuable guide to design context-speciﬁc interventions that make the women and the stakeholders prevent sexual harassment, decrease the barriers, and alleviate effects.

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Job-client gender context and sexual harassment vulnerability within the hotel sector

Cited by 18 publications

References 69 publications

Perception and Experiences of Sexual Harassment among Women Working in Hospitality Workplaces of Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia: A qualitative study

Perception and Experiences of Sexual Harassment among Women Working in Hospitality Workplaces of Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia: A qualitative study

Perception, Experiences, Risks, and Effects of Sexual Harassment Among Women Working in Hospitality Workplaces of Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study

Coping Strategies and Perceived Barriers of women hospitality workplaces employees to sexual harassment in Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia: A Ground Theory Approach

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