Sexual Harassment, the Abuse of Power and the Crisis of Leadership: Superstar Harassers and how to Stop Them

Within these pages James K. Beggan puts forward a novel approach to understanding sexual harassment by high value superstars in the workplace. The approach integrates ideas derived from evolutionary theory, utility theory, sexual scripting theory and research on the regulation of emotion. Besides providing a better understanding of the phenomenon, the book aims to contribute to the development of better techniques to prevent sexual harassment.

Recently, credible allegations of sexual misconduct against high profile figures have dominated the news. Sexual harassment has become an important issue for leaders and those who study leadership. The author presents a new approach to understanding sexual harassment in the #MeToo era that integrates research from a diverse range of areas typically ignored by researchers. Ideas derived from this new approach are used to propose more effective methods for the elimination of sexual harassment in the workplace. The book also addresses how efforts to prevent sexual harassment may interfere with the free expression of sexuality and ultimately threaten the rights of the individual.

Academics and journalists interested in understanding sexual harassment, including graduate students, and undergraduates enrolled in upper division specialized courses in gender relations will find this book to be innovative and informative.

James K. Beggan, Department of Sociology, University of Louisville, US