Workplace Sexual Harassment, towards a renewing approach from the Political Economy

Abstract

In this article we discuss some of the main biases surrounding academic studies on sexual harassment in the workplace. To do so, we resort to Political Economy, a discipline that allows us to reposition aspects such as the organizational climate or the effects of harassment on the profitability of organizations. In this sense, we offer a systematic perspective based on a qualitative study carried out in Ecuador with sixteen discussion groups formed by men and women of different professional profiles. Through the analysis of their experiences, we highlight that the reification of the workforce is decisive to turn the sexuality of workers a productive resource in the hands of organizations. Analyzing this process, we end by pointing to the necessity of solutions not based solely on individual responsibility or depending on profitability, but rather on the de-commodification of the workforce by social action.