Models of Workplace Sexual Identity Disclosure and Management

Abstract

This article advances the understanding of workplace sexual identity management for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals by examining three conceptual frameworks recently proposed in the organizational and psychological literature (Clair, Beatty, & MacLean, 2005; Lidderdale, Croteau, Anderson, TovarMurray, & Davis, 2007;Ragins, 2004Ragins, , 2008. After exploring two of the models that are based in stigma theory and one that is based in social cognitive theory, the article addresses new directions for understanding and studying sexual identity in the workplace through expanding and clarifying the prior conceptual work in the three models. Specifically, directions for greater clarity in definitions of identity management are suggested, recommendations for the integration and extension of perspectives on the relationship of identity management and workplace climate are made, and the need for expanding notions of sexual identity itself is promoted. R eviews of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) work-related scholarship in vocational psychology and organizational management have identified workplace sexual identity management as one of the key factors or "unifying themes" for study with respect to LGB workers and their workplaces

Testing the tenets of minority stress theory in workplace contexts.

“…We also examined patterns of mediation and moderation suggested by minority stress and vocational hteratures (e.g.. Button, 2001;Croteau et al, 2008;Hatzenbuehler, 2009;Meyer, 1995). To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the relations of the full set of minority Stressors with both mental health and vocational outcomes.…”

Just doing gender? Transvestism and the power of underdoing gender in everyday life and work

“…Whereas intentional passing practices include fabrication (deliberately lying), concealing (actively withholding information from others) and discretion (avoiding queries), revealing practices include signalling (hinting), normalizing (making the difference seem ordinary and denying that it matters) and differentiating (validating the stigmatized identity) (Clair et al 2005). Rather than a matter of discrete once--and--for--all acts, concealing and revealing is a dynamic and recursive process, where individuals continuously make choices about coming out, or not, in specific situations and to specific people (Croteau et al 2008). Hence, coming--out is subject to reversal as well as to progress.…”

When leaders are not who they appear: The effects of leader disclosure of a concealable stigma on follower reactions

“…Having demonstrated that the disclosure of a stigmatized transgender identity by a leader can negatively bias followers' evaluations of the leader directly and indirectly through lower relational identification, in this second study, we sought to extend those findings to other features of the disclosure process that may also affect followers' reactions. Among the decisions that those with concealable stigmata must make when deciding to disclose an identity (Chrobot‐Mason, Button, & DiClementi, ; Clair et al, ; Croteau et al, ) are decisions about how and when to disclose (King et al, ).…”