Companies must take stronger action against toxic workplace cultures that allow microaggressions, and the silencing of victims, to continue, says new research from Vlerick Business School.
The study found that, in many workplaces, women are more likely to remain silent when they face microaggressions and instead rely on coping strategies. The researchers state that organizations must take more steps to create spaces for dialogue.
While gender equity policies exist in many organizations, growing awareness of workplace inequalities has meant that discrimination has shifted from overt to covert forms, say the researchers. This has made the issue harder to identify and confront in the workplace.
The research team examined over 700 experiences of microaggressions shared by more than 125 women via an online platform, investigating how women react, cope, and whether companies provide tools to empower them to respond.
The findings showed that women frequently relied on several coping strategies instead of feeling able to speak up against microaggressions. These strategies ranged from misinterpreting microaggressions as harmless, questioning their intent, to recognising microaggressions yet feeling powerless to report them.
In resilience terms, as well as creating a culture of silence where employees feel unable to raise issues due to a lack of psychological safety, the issue also led to feelings of disengagement and, in some cases, workplace exit.
To tackle microaggressions, the researchers recommend a two-fold approach. First, organizations should dismantle systemic silencing mechanisms through open dialogue, accountability, and bystander training. Second, they should provide stage-specific support, equipping individuals with the language, strategies, and tools to recognise, respond to, and cope with subtle workplace bias.
