IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsoctx/v15y2025i2p27-d1581550.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Adaptive Strategies in the Link Between Sexual Harassment and Burnout in Higher Education: A Three-Path Mediation Model

Author

Listed:
  • Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih

    (Management Department, College of Business Administration, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 31982, Saudi Arabia)

  • Hassane Gharbi

    (Management Department, Faculté des Sciences Économiques et de Gestion de Nabeul, Université de Carthage Carthage 1054, Tunisia)

  • Riadh Brini

    (Management Department, Faculté des Sciences Économiques et de Gestion de Nabeul, Université de Carthage Carthage 1054, Tunisia
    Department of Business Administration, College of Business Administration, Majmaah University, Al Majma’ah 11952, Saudi Arabia)

  • Tamer M. Abdelghani

    (Social Studies Department, Faculty of Arts, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Like many other sectors, women in higher education have had negative experiences with sexual harassment. This study examines the coping mechanisms used by female lecturer/researchers and their impact on burnout. Based on Occupational Stress Theory, this research specifically analyzes the mediating role of three coping strategies, i.e., problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and avoidant coping. A quantitative survey was conducted among 800 Tunisian women teacher-researchers, with 613 complete responses that are valid for analysis. The results revealed that under the influence of sexual harassment, women in Tunisian higher education institutions suffer increased burnout. Structural equation analysis shows that emotion-focused coping has a partial mediation effect, while avoidant coping fully mediates the link between harassment and burnout. This research adds to the literature on sexual harassment and suggests implications for the prevention and support of victims in higher education institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih & Hassane Gharbi & Riadh Brini & Tamer M. Abdelghani, 2025. "The Role of Adaptive Strategies in the Link Between Sexual Harassment and Burnout in Higher Education: A Three-Path Mediation Model," Societies, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:2:p:27-:d:1581550
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/2/27/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/2/27/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:2:p:27-:d:1581550. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.