The Link Between Facial Masculinity and Sexual Harassment

Article here. Excerpt:

'A compelling research literature indicates that leader behaviors can shape the prevalence of sexual harassment in a given organization. A similarly compelling research literature indicates that the prevalence of men at higher levels in an organization’s hierarchy can also shape the prevalence of sexual harassment in a given organization. Too many men at the top, and leaders who tolerate sexual harassment, tend to result in more sexual harassment.

We appreciate the importance of these findings, but examined a question that moves a step beyond these findings: Can a CEO’s facial masculinity affect the degree of sexual harassment in an organization? In other words, above and beyond the CEO’s gender, behaviors, and even statements about sexual harassment, can their basic appearance also have an effect? This is especially relevant to new employees who have relatively little information to go on about their CEOs, but who often see images of their CEOs throughout their physical and online workspace.

To conduct this study, we first started by developing the concept and measure for what we call “presumed patriarchy.” This draws from a long and ongoing conversation about patriarchy in our contemporary society.'