Bringing home what I′m hiding at work: The impact of sexual orientation disclosure at work for same-sex couples

Leading with DEI on my Mind: Examining the Interactive Effects of Supervisor Perceptions of Psychological Diversity Climate and Supervisor Characteristics on Leadership Style

Management researchers have recently shifted their focus to examine the effects of psychological diversity climate (PDC). Whereas the majority of this research has focused on front-line employees, we shift our attention to personnel in leadership positions to extend this literature. On the basis that PDC encourages the demonstration of fairness and discourages the demonstration of mistreatment, we rely on social information processing theory to explain why supervisor perceptions of PDC impact supervisory leadership style. Across three studies (one experiment and two multi-source field studies), we find that supervisor perceptions of PDC are positively related to employees’ evaluations of ethical leadership and negatively related to employees’ evaluations of abusive supervision. We also find that the impact of supervisor perceptions of PDC on ethical leadership and abusive supervisor is accentuated when supervisor negative affectivity is relatively high compared to relatively low. However, the impact of supervisor perceptions of PDC on ethical leadership and abusive supervision is attenuated when supervisor conscientiousness is relatively high compared to relatively low. In summary, our studies clarify why and when supervisor perceptions of PDC interact with supervisor characteristics to impact supervisory leadership style. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Improving work-life policy and practice with an intersectionality lens

Purpose

Work-life research has been critiqued for focusing on the experiences of middle and upper class, younger, White, western and heterosexual women. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical lens to conceptualizations that take an intersectionality approach, or at least consider multiple identities, in examining work-life conflict and balance.

Design/methodology/approach

A brief review of the current status of intersectionality research within the work-life realm is provided before discussing the implications of primarily using a single-identity approach to work-life issues. The advantages and challenges of adopting a multiple identity approach are discussed.

Findings

This paper highlights the problems of a lack of an intersectional focus in terms of unidentified needs, ignored values, unresolved conflicts and unhelpful advice. Tensions inherent in trying to adopt an intersectional perspective when dealing with practice and policy issues, particularly with regard to visibility and authenticity, are noted. The paper concludes with a discussion of how considerations of identity and power in work-family research connect to the broader concept of inclusion in the workplace, noting the possible challenges of stereotyping and ambiguity in doing so.

Originality/value

Applying an intersectionality lens to efforts to promote work-life balance in organizations can increase inclusivity, but there are tensions and pitfalls associated with this that are particularly of note for practitioners and policy. A research agenda is outlined as a starting point for addressing these issues.

Validation of the Work Family Conflict Scale for Sexual Minority Employees

The present study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Work–Family Conflict Scale (WFCS) in a sample of 295 sexual minority employees. Factor analyses supported a two-factor oblique model, with work–family conflict manifesting as worker role interfering with the family role (WIF) and family role interfering with the worker role (FIW). We also examined the relations of the latent WIF and FIW factors with conceptually related constructs. Both WIF and FIW were significantly negatively correlated with partner support; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender–supportive climates; job satisfaction; and life satisfaction and were significantly positively correlated with turnover intentions, anxiety, and depression. Moreover, WIF (but not FIW) was significantly negatively associated with family support and family satisfaction, whereas FIW (but not WIF) was significantly negatively associated with outness at work. The findings of the present study suggest that the WFCS—and, possibly, the construct of work–family conflict more generally—holds promise for future vocational research focused on the interface of work and family in the lives of sexual minority employees. Implications of these findings for clinical work and research with sexual minority employees are discussed.