A Question of Trust

A Question of Trust:
LGBT Visibility in the
Workplace
Acknowledgments
The author, researchers and sponsors of this study would like to thank all the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people from a number of
different countries who took the time to take part in the survey. Without their
candid observations about their sexual orientation and identity in the work
place it would not have been possible. For their honesty, courage and desire to
create a more open and equitable workplace, this study is dedicated to them.
Author:
This study was conducted by Ben Capell: An Organizational Consultant and a Ph.D. candidate, ESADE
Business School, Future of Work Chair under the guidance of Professor Simon L. Dolan. Workplace Pride
staff served as a subject expert during different stages of the research design, facilitated contact with
LGBT people in the workplace for the survey and was instrumental in promoting the study in various
forums.
Principle Sponsors:
ESADE Business School: Future of Work Chair: Professor Simon L. Dolan
Workplace Pride Foundation: Executive Director, David Pollard
Additional Researchers:
Dr. Shay Tzafrir (Haifa University, Israel)
Additional Sponsors:
Ambiete G - www.ambienteg.com
Axel Hotels - www.axelhotels.com
FELGBT (Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gais, Transexuales y Bisexuales) - http://www.felgtb.org/
Mako Pride (mako ‫)גאווה‬- http://www.mako.co.il/pride
We would also like to thank Patrick Lagnier & Adi Shorer (HP EMEA PRIDE Network leads) and Robert
Cole (BT and SWAN LGBT Networking) for their valuable contribution to the study design.
Publisher:
Workplace Pride Foundation
Vijzelstraat 20
1017 HK Amsterdam
The Netherlands
[email protected]
www.workplacepride.org
© Workplace Pride Foundation, September 2013*
*This study is a selected summary of Ben Capell’s full doctoral thesis. The Workplace Pride Copyright applies
to this summary only and is shared with ESADE Business School, Future of Work Chair and Mr. Capell himself.
Workplace Pride claims no copyright for Mr. Capell’s other published work.
Publication Management:
David Pollard, Executive Director, Workplace Pride Foundation
Graphic Design:
graphicivolution.com
A Question of Trust: LGBT Visibility in the Workplace
2
Table of Contents
Introduction ESADE Business School
Introduction Workplace Pride Foundation
Foreword
Executive Summary
Background
Deciding whether or not to come out
Past research and what is missing
Introduction to Trust: What it is and why it can explain coming out at work
The Study: Methodology
Charts:
1. Respondents Profile
2. Country of respondents
3. Working sectors
4. Feelings about being LGBT
5. Degrees of ‘outness’ / in private
6. Degrees of ‘outness’ / at work
7. Experiences of heterosexism
Results
Conclusions and recommendations
Literature
About the research manager
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Introduction:
ESADE Business School
The ESADE Future of Work is a relatively new entity within ESADE Business School. Following a long
history of research , publications of books and articles , and training of doctoral students from all
corners of the world, we have reached the conclusion that perhaps we need to start venturing into
the future. We are in the middle of multiple revolutions: technological revolution, global economic
revolution and a cognitive revolution where a new mind set is really needed.
The role of the future of work chair, is to undertake new initiatives, of different sources, venturing into
what seems to be the future. We are, however, focusing on the world of work. The latter, has seen
evolutions and revolutions. We witness virtual work where frontiers do not matter, we see the beginning of portfolio type work where people commit to permanent part time positions, and we can also
see new expressions of diversity amongst the workforce. In an era of war for talent, we are convinced
more and more that what really counts is the added value of employees regardless of their race, sex,
sexual orientation, gender identity, age and other factors. Employers are seeking talent that can be
entrusted and sustain productivity. In the Chair we have developed a stream of research dealing with
issues such as culture reengineering, values and trust as core elements for a sustainable context.
The work reported herein undertaken by Ben Capell, a talented scholar from our team, who is also
completing his doctoral work, is one more evidence of our concern. The research embeds issues of sexual diversity and trust and explores the possible consequences for the person involved as well as for
the organization. This type of research is a pioneering work, that might enable us to better understand
the complex issue of LGBT community in a work setting. Diversities that were stigmatized yesterday,
are gradually becoming very accepted today and will become routine and standard tomorrow. We
are happy to be part of this challenge and we hope that we can draw important lessons to guide us in
future management of the workforce.
Prof. Simon Dolan,
Director of Future of Work Chair, ESADE Business School
A Question of Trust: LGBT Visibility in the Workplace
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Introduction:
Workplace Pride Foundation
Since 2006, Workplace Pride has been at the forefront of developments regarding LGBT people in
the workplace, particularly in Europe. We have participated in or initiated a number of studies dealing
with the economic impact of the LGBT people in the workplace, the benefits of being out of the closet
in the workplace, highlighting what organizations should do to recruit and retain LGBT people, and a
study on the consequences of having global LGBT diversity policies set within the context of different
and often very contradictory international legal environments.
This work however, which Workplace Pride has undertaken in cooperation with the Future of Work
Chair at the ESADE business school, taps into a topic that is both subtle but also can have far-reaching
consequences for not just the LGBT person in the workplace, but almost anyone in the workplace. With
the principal theme of “Trust”, this study explores, through empirical data gathered from a number
of countries, what the real barriers are to people being out of the closet in the workplace. It examines
the sometime intangible mechanisms at play that hinder progress from both LGBT employees and
employers. Finally, it makes concrete recommendations of what employers can do to increase the
element of ‘trust’ in their workplaces and thereby create environments that are more conducive to
openness and productivity for all.
Workplace Pride would like to thank the primary researcher for this report, Ben Capell, for his insight
and empathy with both the participants of the survey as well as to the employers the study is targeting.
Ben’s professional work ethic and committed passion for the topic of diversity in the workplace has
been an inspiration for all who have participated in this study.
We would also like to thank all the participants of the study who committed not just their time, but
their deepest thoughts/concerns on the important topic of work. Their contribution has led to a greater
understanding of the value of being out in the workplace and underlines the potential of all people
who can truly be themselves at work.
David Pollard
Executive Director, Workplace Pride Foundation
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Foreword
In May 2013 the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published
a report on the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
people in the E.U. and Croatia. Data from over 93,000 LGBT individuals make
evident an uncomfortable truth concerning the reality of sexual minorities in
Europe. Despite progress in some areas, many LGBT individuals still experience
discrimination and hostility in various life domains. These findings are paralleled by reports from other countries that show similar unfortunate patterns.
Fortunately, there are also winds of change. Government and private and public organisations in multiple countries have begun to recognize the social and
economic imperative of LGBT inclusion. Efforts of such organisations help raise
awareness of the need to increase societal openness for LGBT people. Naturally, many of these efforts are focused on creating a more inclusive workplace
environment. By now, thanks to such projects, we know more about the challenges LGBT individuals face at work and what companies can do to support them.
Nevertheless, despite this progress, our knowledge is far from complete as
there are some important questions to be addressed. Among the most critical
is: How do we create a workplace environment where employees feel at ease
coming out and being themselves at work? This is a burning question. Current
estimates suggest that in both the European Union and the United States more
than half of LGBT employees prefer to avoid disclosing their sexual orientation
or gender identity at work.
Understanding what needs to be done to make employees feel more comfortable coming out is important for both LGBT employees and their organisations.
Not only do LGBT employees who are out and feel welcomed feel more satisfied
and healthier, they are also more productive and committed.
Accordingly this study aims to help answer this question by exploring the role of
trust in the disclosure decision of LGBT employees at work.
This report presents the quantitative results of a research project led by an international team of scholars. The results are clear. The trust that employees feel
toward their managers and organisation determines their willingness to come
out at work - more than other researched organisational factors and the policies and the presence of networking groups. Furthermore, once out, trust will
increase employees’ commitment and motivation to promote the goals of their
organisation.
Over the next few pages we provide background of previous studies, discuss the
results of our work, and, make recommendations for what organisations can do
to make their LGBT employees more comfortable coming out at work.
Ben Capell
Research Manager
A Question of Trust: LGBT Visibility in the Workplace
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Executive Summary:
The disclosure dilemma of
LGBT employees at work:
what we know and why to look further
Background
Demographic diversity can take two forms: one that is clearly visible and one that can be disguised
or concealed. Race or ethnicity, for example, will typically fall under the first category of diversity
because of the external features associated with it. On the other hand, sexual orientation and transgender identity usually come under the second category as people need to actively communicate
whether they want it to be revealed to others.
When LGBT individuals opt to “pass” (e.g., as straights) they are in fact hiding their non-heterosexual
orientation or transgender identity by monitoring or manipulating the information they share with
others. By contrast, “coming out” is an act of self-exposure.
Deciding whether or not to come out
Deciding whether or not to “come out “ at work is one of the most difficult ones in the life of LGBT
employees due to the possible consequences.
This difficult decision is typically referred to as the “disclosure dilemma”: On one hand, concealing
one’s identity produces high levels of stress and anxiety, mainly resulting from the need to constantly monitor the information they share, and the fear of being outed involuntary. On the other hand,
coming out can involve a risk of discrimination, harassment, and in some cases even physical harm.
Nevertheless, when the reaction to disclosure is positive, the outcomes can be very rewarding for
both the individual and their organisation. Studies show that employees who are out and encounter a
welcoming environment are not just more healthy and satisfied, but also more committed, motivated,
participative, and productive.
Figure 1: Disclosure decision outcomes on workplace attitudes/behaviours
Concealing identity
Disclosure in hostile environment
Disclosure in supportive
environment
Commitment
participation
intention to stay
Productivity and Effectivness
Job Satisfaction
Psychological Well - Being
For organisations, the benefits of creating a welcoming environment for their LGBT staff can go beyond fostering positive workplace attitudes, to making a positive impact on their marketplace results
and bottom-line figures. Business research shows that LGBT consumers are very loyal to companies
that are gay friendly and are even ready to pay a premium for their products. Furthermore, as recent
cases show, discrimination can be costly as it exposes companies to serious risks such as litigation
and social backlash.
It is important to note that while early views tended to see the option to “pass” as straight as an advantage LGBT employees have over visible minorities, more recent work indicates that this is not actually
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the case. The reason is that while LGBT employees can pretend to be “straights”, the anxiety engendered by “passing” and the constant emotional and cognitive effort required to handle situations
where people assume they are straight, ends up taking a serious emotional toll. In fact, some studies
even show that, overall, it is favourable to LGBT individuals to be out at work irrespective of the reactions of their colleagues.
Past Research and What is Missing
Prompted by such motivators, scholars and practitioners have worked to unveil the different factors
that can contribute to a person’s readiness to come out.
Such studies have focused mainly on personality and environmental factors.
A few psychological motivators can encourage people to come out. Two of the important ones are: 1)
the natural desire to have others see us the way we see ourselves and 2) the desire to achieve harmony
between work and private lives.
Then, there are environmental factors, and various studies have looked at the legal protections, the
HR anti-discrimination policies, and the social environment.
Figure 2: Frequently researched factors explaining readiness to come out at work
While these studies shed important light on how people decide whether or not to come out, they have
The Enviroment:
- Anti-discrimination
policies
-Legal framework
-Social enviroment
The person:
- How s/he feel about
being LGBT
-How open is s/he in
private life
limited implications for translating the findings to organizational reality. First, there is very little that
organisations can do to change individuals’ intra-psychological dynamics. Second, when it comes to
environmental factors, studies and everyday experience tells us that they either have limited impact
(e.g., HR policies) or that they are slow to change and are beyond organisations’ reach (legal environment or social environment).
So, a question still remains: What can organisations and managers do to make their employees more
comfortable to be themselves at work?
Introduction to Trust: What it is and why it can explain coming out at work
One factor that could help both explain the decision to come out and at the same time be used to
develop practical tools for organisational work is trust.
A substantial amount of work over the last few years has helped clarify what trust is, what the benefits
of trust are, and how trust can be improved.
Trust represents a willingness to become vulnerable to another. One of the ways in which people express their trust in another person or institution is by sharing sensitive information. A simple example
that can illustrate this idea is the action of providing credit card details to an online retailer when purchasing an item over the web. Because our credit card details are, after all, information of a sensitive
nature, and because once we hand it over we expose ourselves to a risk (e.g., scams, errors in billing,
etc.), we will not give it to anyone, only to someone or to an organisation we trust.
People build a sense of trust in others based on a few dimensions. Four that are especially important
are the way they perceive the other’s intentions, level of honesty/openness, capabilities, and past
A Question of Trust: LGBT Visibility in the Workplace
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actions/results. Coming back to the simple online purchasing example, common sense will tell us
that online shoppers will provide their credit card details to a retailer they believe has good intentions
(e.g., does not intend to take advantage of them), is honest/open (e.g., concerning the quality of the
goods); is capable (e.g., will issue the right product on time), and has a positive track-record (e.g., we
read reviews that tell us that in the past s/he successfully delivered similar orders).
Because coming out at work is in essence an act of sharing personal information of a sensitive nature,
this research aims to learn whether trust, based on the four dimensions mentioned above, can explain how people decide whether or not to come out.
The Study: Methodology
The quantitative part of the research took place from January to June 2013 and was the fruit of collaboration of researchers from different fields together with various LGBT networks. This study was
based on data that was gathered using an online questionnaire that was developed in collaboration
with experts in the area of LGBT inclusion. The anonymous questionnaire asked the respondents
questions about aspects related to their experiences at work, how they feel about being LGBT, to what
extent they were out at work and in their private lives, their employers’ practices, and their level of
trust in both their direct manager and organisation. In addition, the survey also asked a few questions
to assess employees’ level of commitment, knowledge sharing, and their actions to promote their
organisations’ reputation as an employer and brand.
Respondents profile:
The results are based on 431 distinct respondents, 250 of whom are gay, 139 lesbian, 31 bisexual, 6
queer, and 5 transgender.
Chart 1: Sexual and Gender Identity of the respondents (in numbers)
The largest group of respondents came from the EU (241), primarily Spain (149), followed by Israel
(116), and the U.S. (32).
200
179
150
114
100
32
20
La
r
th
e
er
th
O
10
O
EU
a
ic
er
tin
Am
rla
nd
.
s
16
U.
S
U.
K
el
33
N
et
he
9
ra
n
Sp
ai
0
.
27
50
Is
Chart 2: Work country of
respondents (in numbers)
Two hundred and sixty respondents work for private organisations, 122 for public organisations, and
23 for NGOs.
Chart 3: Working sector of respondents (in numbers)
23 26
Private
Public
NGO
(blank)
122
260
Most participants (68%) told us that being LGBTQ was an important and a positive part of their lives.
Chart 4: Replies to questions on feelings towards being LGBT (in numbers)
Disagree /Strongly disagreeEU
Agree / Strongly agree
400
300
200
100
0
I have a positive
attitude about
being LGBTQ
I feel pride
for being
LGBTQ
Being
LGBT is an
integrated
part of my
identity
Being LGBTQ
is an
important
reflection of
who I am
and they were more likely to be out to their close network in their private lives
(nuclear family vs. extended family or new friends)
Chart 5: Respondents degree of outness to different groups in private lives (in numbers)
I actively talk about it to others
I dont try to keep it a secret
I try somewhat hard keep it a secret
I try very hard to keep it a secret
500
400
300
200
100
0
Close Family
Extended
Family
New Straight
Friends
Main Social
Group
and at work (colleagues vs. management)
A Question of Trust: LGBT Visibility in the Workplace
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Chart 6: Respondents degree of outness to different workplace members (in numbers)
I actively talk about it to others
I dont try to keep it a secret
I try somewhat hard keep it a secret
I try very hard to keep it a secret
500
400
300
200
100
0
Supervisor
Colleagues
Senior managers
HR
Close to sixty percent experienced some anti-gay discrimination or hostility (heterosexism) at work
over the last 2 years. The type of heterosexism they experienced was much more indirect than direct, meaning many more faced situations where colleagues talked negatively in general about LGBT
people, than situations where such adverse behaviours were directed towards them or someone else
specifically (a very low number experienced serious situations that included physical attacks and discrimination).
Chart 7: Respondents reporting different experiences of heterosexism (in percentiles)
Denied you a promotion for being LGBT
Made offensive remarks about LGBT
Physically hurt you
Made offensive remarks to you for being LGBT
100
80
60
40
20
0
Never happened Happened only
once or twice
Happened
multiple times
Happened on a Happened most
regular basis
of the time
Last, 55% of the individuals who answered the questionnaire worked in organisations that had some
LGBTQ inclusion practices, whether they are anti-discrimination policies, ERG groups, or domestic
partner benefits.
Results:
Trust, coming out at work, and contributions at work
Statistical analysis of the survey shows without doubt the critical role that trust in management plays
in the disclosure decision of LGBT employees.
Both trust in the direct manager and trust in the organisation are essential, and it seems there is a
quite large connection between the two, meaning that many employees who trusted their managers
also trusted their organisation, and vice versa
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When looking into all the different variables that could impact the decision to come out at work (including HR practices, experiences with colleagues at work, etc.), trust comes up as the most critical
workplace factor impacting how open LGBT employees are about their sexual orientation or gender
identity at work. While many different factors can make a positive or negative contribution to LGBT
employees’ outness at work, when combined together, employees’ trust in a manager is second in
order of importance - just after how open the person is in her/his private life.
Table 1: Factors explaining coming out at work: direction and power of impact (how much do they explain
of the phenomena of coming out at work)
Type of impact
Factor
Positive impact
Negative impact
Power of Impact
Outness in private life
Explains about 30-35%
Trust in manager or organisation
Explains about 25-30%
Strength of LGBT identity
Explains about 15%
Aversive comments at work about
LGBT people
Explains about 15%
Weak impact
HR policies
Legal protection
Past experiences being out or in
Then, although there is a strong link between employees’ trust in their organisation and their trust
in their direct manager, both are important as they affect outness in somewhat different ways. For
example, when coming out to the manager, what counts is the employee’s trust in the manager and
not in the organisation; yet when coming out to colleagues, a combination of both types of trust are
needed.
Furthermore, trust in the organisation was found to be a factor that intermediates between the
workplace elements. For instance, HR practices, such as non-discrimination policies or the existence
of networking groups, will have an effect, yet only when they are successful in generating trust. When
they do not, the impact of HR practices disappear.
Figure 3: Impact of HR practices
Trust exists
HR Practices
make a
positive impact
Trust does
not exists
HR Practices
do NOT make a
positive impact
HR Practices
Analysis of the different items related to trust shows clearly that employees can trust their managers
on various issues such as their ability to make good business decisions or to provide career advise, yet
when it comes to coming out at work the one question that counts is: “How will my manager treat me
once s/he know I am LGBTQ?”
Also, unsurprisingly, the more employees trust their organisations and managers, the more personal
factors (e.g., how they feel about being LGBTQ or how much they are out in their private lives) lose
importance. In other words, employees who trust their managers a lot may come out at work even if
they are not yet out in their private lives, or when their LGBT identity is less important for them.
Finally, the impact of trust was found to extend beyond the disclosure decision and appears to contribute to important workplace outcomes. LGBT employees who trust their organisation and managers
were more committed, exchanged more work-related knowledge with their colleagues, and talked
more positively about their organisation to both potential clients and friends. Just being out without
a sense of trust is not associated with such organisational benefits.
A Question of Trust: LGBT Visibility in the Workplace
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Conclusions:
The data that was gathered during this study helps elucidate the factors that make LGBTQ employees
feel more comfortable coming out at work and contribute more to their workplace goals. As shown,
although this study covered a wide range of elements that may explain what makes employees feel
comfortable taking the risk and coming out at work, one factor is paramount: trust.
Building on these conclusions, this last section will provide some advice that could help organisations and managers create a workplace environment where their LGBTQ employees feel both more
comfortable coming out and more motivated.
Earlier, we commented that trust is typically formed based on four dimensions: caring, honesty, capabilities, and past results. To increase the level of trust, organisations and managers should focus
on visibly delivering on each one of these dimensions. Below are some recommendations that go
beyond the formal and standard HR practices:
Caring:
- Express interest in your employees well-being and signal that this caring is not conditional on sexual
orientation or gender identity (e.g., ask openly LGBTQ employees about their weekend with their
partner, etc.).
- Stand firm to protect/support any employee who may experience hostility because of being LGBTQ.
- Communicate in a language that shows awareness and openness (e.g., do not use words that imply
that partners necessarily need to be of the opposite sex).
- Use opportunities such as discussions with employees to reinforce a message of inclusiveness.
- Periodically ask your open LGBTQ employees if everything is fine, express to the rest of the employees that you do not tolerate heterosexism.
Honesty/Openness:
- Be ready to admit mistakes and the need for improvement as related to diversity management; invite
advice and feedback.
- Be clear about criteria for promotion and hiring.
- To the extent you feel comfortable doing so, be ready to discuss potentially sensitive aspects of
your own private life. (Because coming out involves sharing information of a sensitive nature, any
indication from management that they are also open to disclosing aspects of their own lives sends a
powerful message of openness.)
Competency:
- Learn what is needed so you can have the right skills and knowledge to successfully manage issues
related to sexual diversity at the workplace.
- Express your competency by using the right vocabulary, take leadership when resolving issues, and
show relevant expertise in the way you manage your workforce.
Results:
- Be consistent in the way you apply all the above, and remember that many will not take the risk of
coming out if they cannot predict your reaction.
- Publicly communicate the resolution of cases such as when dealing with heterosexism.
- Celebrate success stories. The more you have senior managers who are out in your organisation, the
greater will be the confidence of the rest of your LGBTQ staff.
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Literature
American Psychological Association (2002), APA Congressional Testimony, Retrieved from www.
sbequality.org/APA_Congress_Testimony.rtf
Colgan, F., Creegan, C., McKearney, A. & Wright, T. (2006). Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Workers:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, COERC, London Metropolitan University, London
Day, N.E. & Schoenrade. (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(3), 346-363.
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. (2013). EU LGBT survey - European Union lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender survey - Results at a glance. Report retrieved from http://fra.
europa.eu
Griffith, K.H. & Hebl, M.R. (2002). The disclosure dilemma for gay men and lesbians: “Coming out”
at work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(6), 1191-1199.
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Management, 47(2), 237-253.
Hurley, R.F. (2012). The decision to trust: How leaders create high-trust organization. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass
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Tyler (Eds.), Trust in Organizations: Frontiers of Theory
and Research (pp 261-287).Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage.
Law, C. L., Martinez, L.R., Ruggs, E. N., Hebl, M. R. and E. Akers, (2011). Trans-parency in the
workplace: how the experiences of transsexual employees can be improved. Journal of Vocational
Behavior, vol. 79, pp. 710–723, 2011.
Ragins, B.R. (2008). Disclosure Disconnects: Antecedents and Consequences of Disclosing Invisible
Stigmas Across Life Domains. Academy of Management Review, 33(1), 194-215.
Ragins, B. R., & Cornwall, J. M. (2001). Pink triangles: Antecedents and consequences of perceived
workplace discrimination against gay and lesbian employees. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86,
1244–1261.
Sears, B, Hunter, N. D & Mallroy, C. (2009). Documenting Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual
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A Question of Trust: LGBT Visibility in the Workplace
14
About the research manager
Ben Capell is an academic researcher and organizational consultant specializing in the areas of developing trust, diversity
and leadership. He is a lead member and a head researcher of
the Future of Work Chair of ESADE Business School, a research
unit that is dedicated to foresee and affect changes in the world
of work.
Ben´s international career includes various consultancy and
people development roles. He worked with several leading
companies and educational institutions. Between the years
2004 and 2011 Ben worked for Hewlett-Packard where he held
senior internal consultancy and management roles in the area
of leadership development and diversity and talent management. Promoting the inclusion of LGBT employees at work is
one of Ben’s main areas of focus- ever sense working for HP he
dedicates a major part of his consultancy and academic activities to help organizations make progress in this area.
Ben has lived and worked in Israel, USA. Japan and Spain. He
holds a Masters of Research in Management, Masters degree in Clinical Psychology and a B.A. in
Human Resources Management and he is pursuing his PhD degree in ESADE. Ben speaks various
languages including English, Hebrew, Japanese, Catalan and Spanish.
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A Question of Trust:
LGBT Visibility in the
Workplace