Date of Award

2024-10-31

Degree Name

PhD Leadership Studies

Dissertation Committee

Robert Donmoyer, PhD, Committee Chair Antonio Jiménez-Luque, PhD, Committee Member Fred J. Galloway, EdD, Committee Member

Keywords

LGBT employees, organizational culture, LGBT leadership, mixed methods, inclusivity, diversity, workplace environment

Abstract

This study explored Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans (LGBT) employees’ perceptions and assessments of their firms’ organizational cultures and, in particular, the opportunities within the culture that can lead to upper management positions for those who identify as LGBT. The research sought to understand the extent to which inclusivity efforts are reflected in real career progression opportunities for openly LGBT employees working in San Diego County. Employing a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design, the study incorporated quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to achieve a comprehensive understanding of participant’s perspectives and experiences. The decision to use both methods allowed the research to capture both broad trends and more personal, nuanced insights, creating a fuller picture of LGBT experiences in the workplace.

The quantitative phase involved administering, to a diverse sample of openly LGBT employees employed by various organizations in San Diego County, a structured questionnaire that assessed participants’ views about their organizations’ cultures, in general, and access to upper management positions in their organizations, in particular. This phase of the research was critical in identifying the common experiences and perceptions shared across a wide range of industries and organizational contexts. The qualitative phase employed interviews with a subset of survey participants to gain richer insights into individual experiences with inclusion. These interviews allowed participants to express personal stories and deeper reflections on their workplace environments, providing a valuable complement to the broader patterns identified in the survey responses.

Findings from this study revealed a general sense of inclusivity among openly LGBT employees. In fact, most participants did not perceive any significant barriers to their career advancement and felt supported by their organizations, which appeared to foster environments where LGBT employees could thrive professionally. However, nuanced challenges related to gender identity and societal attitudes were identified and underscored the continuing complexity of navigating professional environments as an LGBT individual even in an era in which many organizations officially embrace the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion and implement those concepts in making promotion decisions.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Leadership Studies

Download

Share

COinS