Abstract
Prior research provides evidence that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)‐supportive corporate policies are related to important human resource functions, such as enhanced recruitment and retention. In addition, prior research indicates that investors view the adoption of such policies positively. We examine the firm‐performance mechanisms underlying favorable stock‐market reactions based on an integration of perspectives from corporate social responsibility and the business case for diversity. Specifically, we estimate a hierarchical linear model (HLM) to account for the nested nature of our data (firms nested within states) and find that (1) the presence of LGBT‐supportive policies is associated with higher firm value, productivity, and profitability; (2) the firm‐value and profitability benefits associated with LGBT‐supportive policies are larger for companies engaged in research and development (R&D) activities; and (3) the firm‐value and profitability benefits of LGBT‐supportive policies persist in the presence of state antidiscrimination laws. In supplemental analyses, we find that firms implementing (discontinuing) LGBT‐supportive policies experience increases (decreases) in firm value, productivity, and profitability. We are among the first to link LGBT‐supportive policies specifically to financial performance outcomes as well as to develop and test a multilevel model of these relationships. Our results have important implications for theory and research on LGBT issues in organizations, human resource managers, and policymakers.
Highlights
Significant advances have been made in recent history in the United States for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community
Consistent with scholarship that suggests commitment to diversity and inclusiveness is an important aspect of Corporate social responsibility (CSR) (Colgan, 2011; Snider, Hill, & Martin, 2003), we suggest that LGBT-supportive policies are an increasingly important, more stigmatized, type of diversity-enhancing policy
We propose that, when the adoption of LGBT-supportive policies is not voluntary but state mandated, adoption is less likely to be perceived as socially responsive by stakeholders and less likely to lead to enhanced firm performance outcomes
Summary
Significant advances have been made in recent history in the United States for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The positive associations between LGBT-supportive corporate policies and firm value, productivity, and profitability decrease in the presence of state-level antidiscrimination laws.
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