Teacher-perpetrated sexual harassment and student performance: roles of emotional exhaustion and neuroticism

Abstract

PurposeThis study examines the effects of teacher-perpetrated sexual harassment on graduate students' academic and extracurricular performance using conservation of resources theory as a framework. Further, it looks into the moderating role of trait neuroticism on the indirect relationship between sexual harassment and student performance via emotional exhaustion.Design/methodology/approachLongitudinal data were collected in three waves from 218 Pakistani students over a period of three months during the fall 2019 semester. PROCESS Macro (v. 4) model 7 was used on SPSS (v. 21) to analyze the data for testing the moderated-mediation hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that as a source of toxic stress, teacher-perpetrated sexual harassment is negatively related to both academic performance and extracurricular performance, and that emotional exhaustion is a mediator in this inverse relationship. In addition, trait neuroticism strengthens the negative effect of teacher-to-student sexual harassment on student performance through emotional exhaustion.Originality/valueThis study addresses an unexplored moderated-mediation mechanism, and thus makes valuable contributions to education management research and practice. More specifically, it contributes by examining emotional exhaustion as a mediating variable in the relationship of teacher-perpetrated sexual harassment and student performance and, perhaps for the first time, establishes the moderating role of neuroticism in increasing the strength of the aforementioned relationship.

Workplace Sexual Harassment and Withdrawal Behaviors Among Female Workers in Jordanian Hotels, the Mediating Role of Emotional Exhaustion

“…Turning back to the discussion of these findings and the analysis that followed within the framework of the proposed theoretical model, it was evident that the first hypothesis, which postulated that sexual harassment has a considerable and positive influence on emotional exhaustion, was validated. This validation coincides with the conclusions drawn from (Jung and Yoon, 2020a;Bilal et al, 2022;Bui et al, 2019;Figueira and Alves, 2023) studies, which confirm that sexual harassment has a significant impact on emotional exhaustion. Indeed, there is a body of research that approves the influence of sexual harassment on emotional exhaustion.…”

“…Emotional exhaustion is the primary cause of job burnout, the initial stage of the process, and the most blatant sign of burnout, according to Lammers et al (2013). According to Maslach et al (2001) and Bilal et al (2022), emotional exhaustion is a quick and immediate psychological response to stress and shocks. Maslach et al (2001), Maslach and Jackson (1981), and Chen et al (2023a), among others, claim that emotional exhaustion is a psychological syndrome that results from significant physical, affective, and behavioral stress.…”