Power, gender and identification with sexual harassment victims

Purpose – This study aims to examine the effect of power on identification with sexual harassment victims across genders and explores interventions to enhance identification. Limiting to incidents involving a man harassing a woman, this study hypothesized that women in higher (vs lower) power would show greater identification; however, men’s identification would not be affected by power. These distinct effects stem from gender differences in the manifestation of power, linked to variations in self-construal–independent versus interdependent self-views in men and women, respectively. Thus, priming of independent or interdependent self-construal in men and women can attenuate gender differences. Design/methodology/approach – In Experiment 1, 147 participants were assigned to higher-/lower-power conditions. They read a scenario describing sexual harassment and indicated their identification with the victim. Experiment 2 (n = 208) was similar, with the addition of independent/interdependent self-construal priming. Findings – In Experiment 1, women in higher- (vs lower-) power condition demonstrated greater identification; men in higher- and lower-power conditions did not differ in identification. Higher-power men (vs women) exhibited lower identification. In Experiment 2, independent self-construal priming created a similar pattern of gender differences across both power conditions as in Experiment 1, with a reduced effect of power on women’s identification and an increased gap between higher-power men and women. Interdependent self-construal priming enhanced identification among higher-power men and possibly among lower-power women. Originality/value – This paper elucidates gender differences in power manifestation, with implications for judgment of sexual harassment, which can inform intervention development for correcting gender biases.