Career anchors and paths: The case of Gay, Lesbian, & Bisexual workers

Abstract

This paper develops a framework for understanding the career experiences and decisions of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual (GLB) workers. An important conceptual contribution of this paper is the focus on the self-disclosure of someone's GLB identity as an antecedent rather than an outcome in regard to that person's career. Specifically, the decision of a GLB worker to be visible/out of the closet or invisible/closeted promotes the development of need-based career anchors (security and stability, lifestyle, and autonomy and independence) and these direct their subsequent career paths. Understanding the role of stigma in the lives of GLB workers help to explains how an individual may be boundaryless but not protean and vice versa. In addition to developing propositions for understanding the careers of GLB workers, the paper also discusses implications for organizations and individuals with other diversity characteristics.