Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4hhp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-23T08:00:14.443Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Social and Economic Imperative of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Supportive Organizational Policies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2015

Eden B. King  and
José M. Cortina
Eden B. King*
Affiliation:
George Mason University
José M. Cortina
Affiliation:
George Mason University
*
E-mail: Eking6@gmu.edu, Address: George Mason University, Department of Psychology, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3f5, Fairfax, VA 22030
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The central premise of this article is that organizations have social and economic interests in building policies and practices that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) workers. This argument is based on empirical evidence that (a) LGBT workers continue to face discrimination at work from which they are not protected under federal law, and (b) discrimination has negative consequences for individual's mental and physical health, and on reasoning that (c) organizations share responsibility for the social good of the communities in which they operate. We offer practical suggestions for creating LGBT-supportive organizations and propose that industrial–organizational psychologists have an ethical obligation to support such efforts.

Type
Focal Article
Information
Industrial and Organizational Psychology , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 2010 , pp. 69 - 78
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2010 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychological Association. (1997). Testimony of the American Psychological Association on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/pendatest.html Google Scholar
American Psychological Association. (2002).Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code.html Google Scholar
Badgett, M. V., Lau, H., Sears, B., & Ho, D. (2007). Bias in the workplace: Consistent evidence of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Los Angeles: The Williams Institute, University of California.Google Scholar
Barreto, M., Ellemers, N., & Banal, S. (2006). Working under cover: Performance-related self-confidence among members of contextually devalued groups who try to pass. European Journal of Social Psychology, 36, 337–352.Google Scholar
Beatty, J., & Kirby, S. L. (2006). Beyond the legal environment: How stigma influences invisible identity groups in the workplace. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 18, 29–46.Google Scholar
Berstein, M., & Kostelac, C. (2002). Lavender and blue: Attitudes about homosexuality and behavior toward lesbians and gay men among police officers. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 18, 302–330.Google Scholar
Black, D., Gates, G., Sanders, S., & Taylor, L. (2000). Demographics of the gay and lesbian population in the United States: Evidence from available systematic sources. Demography, 37, 139–154.Google Scholar
Blandford, J. (2003). The nexus of sexual orientation and gender in the determination of earnings. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 56, 622.Google Scholar
Bowman, K. (2006, June 11). Gay pride and prejudice. The Washington Post, B2.Google Scholar
Brief, A. P., Dietz, J., Cohen, R. R., Pugh, S. D., & Vaslow, J. B. (2000). Just doing business: Modern racism and obedience to authority as explanations for employment discrimination. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 8, 72–97.Google Scholar
Button, S. B. (2001). Organizational efforts to affirm sexual diversity: A cross-level examination. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 17–28.Google Scholar
Campbell, J. L. (2007). Why would corporations behave in socially responsible ways? An institutional theory of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Review, 32, 946–967.Google Scholar
Chrobot-Mason, D., Button, S. B., & DiClementi, J. D. (2002). Sexual identity management strategies: An exploration of antecedents and consequences. Sex Roles, 45, 321–337.Google Scholar
Creed, W. E., Scully, M. A., & Austin, J. R. (2002). Clothes make the person? The tailoring of legitimating accounts and the social construction of identity. Organization Science, 13, 475–496.Google Scholar
Croteau, J. M. (1996). Research on the work experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people: An integrative review of methodology and findings. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 48, 195–209.Google Scholar
Dasgupta, N., & Rivera, L. M. (2006). From automatic antigay prejudice to behavior: The moderating role of conscious beliefs about gender and behavioral control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 268–280.Google Scholar
Day, N. E., & Schoenrade, P. (1997). Staying in the closet versus coming out: Relationships between communication about sexual orientation and work attitudes. Personnel Psychology, 50, 147–168.Google Scholar
Day, N. E., & Schoenrade, P. (2000). The relationship among reported disclosure of sexual orientation, anti-discrimination policies, top management support, and work attitudes of gay and lesbian employees. Personnel Review, 29, 346–366.Google Scholar
Driscoll, J. M., Kelley, F. A., & Fassinger, R. E. (1996). Lesbian identity and disclosure in the workplace: Relation to occupational stress and satisfaction. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 48, 229–242.Google Scholar
Elmslie, B., & Tebaldi, E. (2007). Sexual orientation and labor market discrimination. Journal of Labor Research, 28, 436–453.Google Scholar
Embrick, D. G., Walther, C. S., & Wickens, C. M. (2007). Working class masculinity: Keeping gay men and lesbians out of the workplace. Sex Roles, 56, 757–766.Google Scholar
Fassinger, R. E. (2008). Workplace diversity and public policy: Challenges and opportunities for psychology. American Psychologist, 63, 252–268.Google Scholar
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Boston: Pitman.Google Scholar
Gabriel, U., & Banse, R. (2006). Helping behavior as a subtle measure of discrimination against lesbians and gay men: German data and a comparison across countries. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36, 690–707.Google Scholar
Gallup (2006). Americans at odds over gay rights. Retrieved online July 15, 2008, from http://www.gallup.com/poll/23140/Americans-Odds-Over-Gay-Rights.aspx Google Scholar
Goodman, J. A., Schell, J., Alexander, M. G., & Eidelman, S. (2008). The impact of a derogatory remark on prejudice toward a gay male leader. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38, 542–555.Google Scholar
Griffith, K., & Hebl, M. R. (2002). The disclosure dilemma for gay men and lesbians: “Coming out” at work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 1191–1199.Google Scholar
Hebl, M., Foster, J. M., Mannix, L. M., & Dovidio, J. F. (2002). Formal and interpersonal discrimination: A field study examination of applicant bias. Personality and Social Psychological Bulletin, 28, 815–225.Google Scholar
Herek, G. M. (1990). The context of anti-gay violence: Notes on cultural and psychological heterosexism. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 5, 316–333.Google Scholar
Herek, G. M. (2002). Heterosexuals' attitudes toward bisexual men and women in the United States. The Journal of Sex Research, 39, 264–274.Google Scholar
Hiatt, D., & Hargrave, G. E. (1994). Psychological assessment of gay and lesbian law enforcement applicants. Journal of Personality Assessment, 63, 80–88.Google Scholar
Hinings, C. R., & Greenwood, R. (2002). Disconnects and consequences in organization theory? Administrative Science Quarterly, 47, 411–421.Google Scholar
Horvath, M., & Ryan, A. M. (2003). Antecedents and potential moderators of the relationship between attitudes and hiring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Sex Roles, 48, 115–131.Google Scholar
Huffman, A., Watrous, K., & King, E. B. (2008). Diversity in the workplace: Support for lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers. Human Resource Management, 47, 237–253.Google Scholar
Human Rights Campaign (2007). The state of the workplace for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered Americans: 2006–2007. Retrieved May 5, 2009, from http://www.hrc.org/workplace Google Scholar
Kalev, A., Dobbin, F., & Kelly, E. (2006). Best practices or best guesses? Assessing the efficacy of corporate affirmative action and diversity policies. American Sociological Review, 71, 589–617.Google Scholar
King, E. B., Reilly, C., & Hebl, M. R. (2008). The best and worst of times: Dual perspectives of coming out in the workplace. Group and Organization Management, 33, 566–601.Google Scholar
Lehavot, K., & Lambert, A. J. (2007). Toward a greater understanding of antigay prejudice: On the role of sexual orientation and gender role violation. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 29, 279–292.Google Scholar
Margolis, J. D., & Walsh, J. P. (2003). Misery loves companies: Rethinking social initiatives by business. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48, 268–305.Google Scholar
Mays, V., & Cochran, S. (2001). Mental health correlates of perceived discrimination among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 1869–1876.Google Scholar
Myors, B., Lievens, F., Schollaert, E., & Van Hoye, G., Cronshaw, S. F., Mladinic, A., et al. (2008). International perspectives on the legal environment for selection. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 1, 206–246.Google Scholar
Orlitzky, M., Schmidt, F. L., & Rynes, S. L. (2003). Corporate social and financial performance: A meta-analysis. Organization Studies, 24, 403–441.Google Scholar
Oswald, D. L. (2007). “Don't ask, don't tell”: The influence of stigma concealing and perceived threat on perceivers' reactions to a gay target. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37, 928–947.Google Scholar
Pacoe, E. A., & Richman, L. S. (2009). Perceived discrimination and health: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 135, 531–554.Google Scholar
Ragins, B. R. (2004) Sexual orientation in the workplace: The unique work and career experiences of gay, lesbian, and bisexual workers. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 23, 37–122.Google Scholar
Ragins, B. R. (2008). Disclosure disconnects: Antecedents and consequences of disclosing invisible stigmas across life domains. Academy of Management Review, 33, 194–215.Google Scholar
Ragins, B. R., & Cornwell, J. M. (2001). Pink triangles: Antecedents and consequences of perceived workplace discrimination against gay and lesbian employees. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 1244–1261.Google Scholar
Ragins, B. R., Singh, R., & Cornwell, J. M. (2007). Making the invisible visible: Fear and disclosure of sexual orientation at work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1103–1118.Google Scholar
Rahman, Q., Abrahams, S., & Wilson, G. D. (2003). Sexual orientation related differences in verbal fluency. Neuropsychology, 17, 240–246.Google Scholar
Rahman, Q., Wilson, G. D., & Abrahams, S. (2004). Performance differences between adult heterosexual and homosexual men on the Digit-Symbol Substitution sub-test of the WAIS. Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology, 26, 141–148.Google Scholar
Rumens, N. (2008). Working at intimacy: Gay men's workplace friendships. Gender, Work, and Organization, 15, 9–31.Google Scholar
Smith, N. S., & Ingram, K. M. (2004). Workplace heterosexism and adjustment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: The role of unsupportive social interactions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31, 57–67.Google Scholar
Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology. (2009). Mission statement. Retrieved online December 1, 2009, from http://www.siop.org/mission.aspx Google Scholar
Szymanski, D. M. (2009). Examining potential moderators of the link between heterosexist events and gay and bisexual men's psychological distress. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56, 142–151.Google Scholar
Van Hoye, G., & Lievens, F. (2003). The effects of sexual orientation on hirability ratings: An experimental study. Journal of Business and Psychology, 18, 15–30.Google Scholar
Waldo, C. R. (1999). Working in a majority context: A structural model of heterosexism as minority stress in the workplace. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 46, 218–232.Google Scholar
Weber, M. (1964). The theory of social and economic organization. New York: The Free Press.Google Scholar
White, A. L. (2007). Is it time to rewrite the social contract? Business for Social Responsibility. Retrieved May 7, 2009, from http://www.tellus.org/publications/files/BSR_AW_Social-Contract.pdf Google Scholar