Although diversity in the workforce is an important issue for organizations and management educators, sexual orientation is one source of workforce diversity that is rarely examined. However, students may feel uncomfortable discussing the issue in the classroom. This article describes an exercise conducted to see whether students' analysis of a case study differed if the protagonist was homosexual or heterosexual. The results, which showed differences between the two groups, and the implications for management education are described.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bell, A. P.
, & Weinberg, S. (1978). Homosexualities: A study of diversity among men and women. New York: Simon & Schuster.
2.
Burrell, G.
, & Hearn, J. (1989). The sexuality of organization. In J. Hearn, D. Sheppard, P. Tancred-Sheriff, & G. Burrell (Eds.), The sexuality of organization (pp. 1-28). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
3.
Committee on Gay and Lesbian Concerns, American Psychological Association
. (1991, September). Avoiding heterosexist bias in language. American Psychologist, pp. 973-974.
4.
Diamant, L.
(Ed.). (1993). Homosexual issues in the workplace. Washington, DC: Taylor and Francis.
5.
Ellis, A. L.
, & Vasseur, B. B. (1993). Prior interpersonal contact with and attitudes towards gays and lesbians in an interviewing context. Journal of Homosexuality, 25(4), 31-45.
6.
Ghiglione, L.
(1990). Alternatives: Gays and lesbians in the newsroom. Washington, DC: American Society of Newspaper Editors.
7.
Hall, M.
(1986). The lesbian corporate experience. Journal of Homosexuality, 12(3/4), 59-75.
8.
Karr, R. G.
(1978). Homosexual labeling and the male role. Journal of Social Issues, 34(3), 73-83.
9.
Kinsey, A.
, Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. E., & Gebhard, P. H. (1953). Sexual behavior in the human female. New York: Simon & Schuster.
10.
Levine, M. P.
, & Leonard, R. (1984). Discrimination against lesbians in the workforce. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 9(4), 700-710.
11.
Mills, A.
(1989). Gender, sexuality and organization theory. In J. Hearn, D. Sheppard, P. Tancred-Sheriff, & G. Burrell (Eds.), The sexuality of organization (pp. 29-44). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
12.
Ridinger, R.B.M.
(1990). The homosexual and society: An annotated bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
13.
Roth, N. L.
, & Carman, J. (1993). Risk perception and HIV legal issues in the workplace. In L. Diamant (Ed.), Homosexual issues in the workplace (pp. 180-186). Washington, DC: Taylor and Francis.
14.
Ruse, M.
(1988). Homosexuality: A philosophical inquiry. Oxford, UK: Basil Blackwell.
15.
Shallenberger, D.
(1991, June). Out of the classroom closet. Paper presented at the 1991 Organizational Behavior Teaching Conference, Bellingham, WA.
16.
Shepherd, S.
, & Wallis, M. (1989). Coming on strong: Gay politics and culture. Winchester, MA: Unwin Hyman.
17.
Stewart, T.
(1991, December 16). Gay in corporate America. Fortune, pp. 42-56.
18.
Stone, S. D.
(1990). Lesbians in Canada. Toronto, Canada: Between the Lines.
19.
Woods, J.
(1993). The corporate closet: The professional lives of gay men in America. New York: Free Press.
