(Dis)Organizing Sexual Harassment: Patterns of Bystander Communication

This study explores organizational bystander responses to sexual harassment in order to understand how bystanders facilitate healing, perpetuate harm, and create tensions for individuals who experience workplace sexual harassment. This qualitative analysis expands our understanding of bystander communication in several ways. First, we present patterns of constructive and destructive bystander communication practices and introduce the concept of holistic support. Second, we analyze how responses by organizational bystanders (dis)organize sexual harassment or ignite fears of (dis)organization. Last, we introduce a continuum of bystander response patterns that demonstrate the tensions targets of sexual harassment navigate when interacting with bystanders. Findings illuminate the possibilities for workplace transformation and we provide recommendations for how to best support individuals who are sexually harassed.