The role of personality in disclosing a non-heterosexual orientation at work

Abstract

Based on a sample of 372 adult employees who reported being LGB+, this cross-sectional study investigated whether and how personality is related to the disclosure of a non-heterosexual orientation at the workplace, which has not been systematically examined so far. Disclosure at work, the five-factor personality traits, self-esteem, impulsiveness, and locus of control were assessed based on prior findings and conceptual aspects alongside with potential covariates. The results suggest that age, the presence of an intimate relationship, and work hours per week incrementally predicted disclosure behavior at work, which is in line with previous studies. These factors significantly increased the likelihood of disclosing a non-heterosexual orientation at work. Regarding personality, bivariate correlation analyses showed that neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, and internal locus of control are related to disclosure behavior at work. This would replicate previous findings on general disclosing behavior. However, when controlling for the shared variance with all relevant personality factors and covariates, only conscientiousness showed incremental validity in explaining disclosure behavior at work. Given that integrity and honesty, as well as authenticity, are key characteristics of conscientious individuals, it may be likely that conscientious LGB + employees tend to disclose their non-heterosexual orientation at work in order to be honest and authentic.