Sexual Identity Management Strategies: An Exploration of Antecedents and Consequences

Unlike many minority members, lesbian and gay employees often make conscious decisions about revealing their minority status at work. Past research suggests that lesbian and gay employees utilize different strategies (i.e., counterfeiting, avoidance, integrating) to manage a stigmatized sexual identity. This study explored the relationship between each strategy and predicted antecedents (i.e., sexual identity achievement, perceived organizational climate) and consequences (i.e., open group process). Results demonstrated that lesbian and gay employees are more likely to adopt an integrating strategy when they have higher sexual identity achievement and perceive an affirming organizational climate. Open group process was found to have a negative relationship with avoidance. A significant positive relationship was found between counterfeiting and open group process, suggesting that maintaining a false identity may facilitate some work group interactions. Implications for work group relationships and future research are discussed.