Decent work and gender-based violence and harassment: an integrative conceptual architecture

Research on Workplace Violence and Harassment (WPVH) has advanced significantly in recent decades. However, prevailing approaches often fail to clearly define what constitutes Gender-Based Violence and Harassment (GBVH). Additionally, the field remains fragmented, lacking a consistent theoretical framework to explain these phenomena. Moreover, empirical evidence often favors incident-based analyses, single-level explanations, or insufficiently structured classification processes. This article advances a systemic reconceptualisation of GBVH by situating it within the normative, multidimensional framework of Decent Work (DW) as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Drawing on the ILO framework and its operationalisation within Work, Organisational and Personnel Psychology, the article reframes GBVH as an expression of DW deficits rather than solely as individual misconduct. It introduces an integrative conceptual model structured around five key elements: (1) alignment with the seven interdependent dimensions of DW; (2) a classification model designed to address persistent ambiguity in distinguishing unequivocal gender-based harm from interculturally ambiguous behaviours; (3) temporal markers capturing frequency, persistence, and escalation; (4) a multilevel biopsychosocial-ecological integration spanning individual, interpersonal, organisational, sociocultural, and intercultural systems; and (5) intercultural literacy as a transversal moderator shaping classification and response. By consolidating dispersed strands of research within a unified normative architecture, the framework enhances conceptual clarity, diagnostic precision, and procedural fairness. It also strengthens the alignment between psychosocial risk analysis, equality governance, and labour policy. The article provides the structure for the further development of instruments to measure GBVH in workplace settings as a strategic operational extension of the model, translating conceptual integration into assessment and prevention design. Overall, the article advances an integrative conceptual architecture that connects normative labour standards, psychosocial analysis, and organisational prevention strategies. It emphasises the need to examine the conditions under which work is organised, governed, and experienced to foster equitable and sustainable work systems.