Research: Women’s Complaints of Workplace Abuse Get Ignored More Than Men’s

by Tim Kundro, Alyssa Tedder-King, Olivia Walker and Marissa Shandell

June 2, 2025

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Summary.

Organizations often urge employees to report abusive behavior, believing that doing so is key to addressing misconduct. But our research shows that whether a report leads to corrective action doesn’t just depend on what is reported, but also who is doing the reporting.

Tim Kundro is an assistant professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School. He studies how people manage morally charged situations at work.

Alyssa Tedder-King is an assistant professor of management and organization at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Her research examines how people experience inequality in the workplace and explores strategies to reduce these disparities with a particular focus on allyship and inclusion.

Olivia Walker is a PhD candidate in Organizational Behavior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Marissa Shandell is a PhD candidate in Organizational Behavior at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She studies how people can motivate themselves and others to align peak performance and well-being.

Read more on Human resource management or related topics Workplace discrimination, Gender, Sexual harassment and Cognitive bias

Research: Women’s Complaints of Workplace Abuse Get Ignored More Than Men’s

Summary.

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