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The consequences of outness: gay men’s workplace experiences

David Wicks (Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada)

Management Decision

ISSN: 0025-1747

Article publication date: 16 October 2017

1101

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the positive and negative workplace experiences of gay men that they perceive to be a consequence of their sexual identity.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses in-depth interviews of a diverse group of university educated white collar men employed full-time in the public and private sector. Its findings are based on a thematic content analysis of these interviews.

Findings

Despite experiencing some negative consequences of being out at work, their positive and neutral experiences show encouraging signs of increasingly tolerant workplaces. Some of the challenges encountered that respondents believe to be a consequence of their sexual identity are, however, not dissimilar to those faced by workers with non-traditional families.

Research limitations/implications

As with any small sample exploratory qualitative research, this paper’s findings cannot necessarily be generalized to larger populations. The uniqueness of the sample (ethnically/culturally homogenous, university educated, public/private sector employees, residents of medium-sized Canadian city) allow for display of certain experiences not representative of the population at large.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the relatively small but growing body of research on the experience of sexual minorities in the workplace. Its findings challenging the notion that sexual minorities are uniquely advantaged in the workplace, and that research on sexual minorities in the workplace is misguided in focusing on the problematic aspects of sexual identity/orientation.

Keywords

Citation

Wicks, D. (2017), "The consequences of outness: gay men’s workplace experiences", Management Decision, Vol. 55 No. 9, pp. 1868-1887. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-12-2016-0900

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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