Impact of sexual harassment experiences on job dissatisfaction and intent to leave the military

Sexual harassment is a phenomenon that affects many workplaces, but intense scrutiny has been given to one workplace in particular, the military, because of its unique workplace characteristics. Using structural equation modeling, logistic regression, and log-linear modeling for data analyses of two Department of Defense surveys, this study examined the relationship between the context and consequences of active-duty and Reserve component members' sexual harassment experiences on level of job dissatisfaction and intent to leave the military. Findings from the analyses indicate that military women's sexual harassment experiences are affected by the level of organizational tolerance of these behaviors and subsequent experiences of professional and social retaliation impact women's level of job dissatisfaction and intent to leave the military. These findings suggest that military leaders, throughout the chain-of-command, need to more aggressively support zero tolerance sexual harassment policies and to prevent situations where victims experience retaliatory behaviors.