The Imaginer-Experiencer Gap in Affective and Behavioural Reactions to Sexualized Work Environments and Its Moderation by Organizational Intolerance to Sexual Harassment

This research comprises two quasi-experimental studies exploring the discrepancies between individuals who imagine encountering a sexualized work environment - an environmental form of sexual harassment - and those who actually experience it. The findings reveal that those who imagine facing such an environment anticipate experiencing higher levels of hostile emotions than those reported by actual experiencers. Consequently, the imaginers tend to overestimate their active responses to such environments, whereas actual experiencers exhibit fewer active reactions. These findings replicate the imaginer-experiencer gap found in studies on interpersonal harassment. Notably, the imaginer-experiencer gap is particularly pronounced in organizations with strict anti-harassment policies. The discussion centres on parallels and differences that can be drawn between interpersonal and environmental forms of harassment and underlines the managerial implications of our findings.