Resumo

Despite incentives to discourage discrimination, sexual minorities face serious limitations and barriers in the labor market (Cook & Glass, 2016; Drydakis, 2015). LGBTQIA+ people face significant challenges such as prejudice, violence, stigma, harassment resulting in high levels of suicide (Latemore, 2015). These inequalities do not arise as a result of individual choices themselves, but through interactions with organizational norms culturally embedded in codes and practices that only tolerate the heteronormative order (Kamasak et al., 2020).

This paper aimed to identify the main barriers and challenges of LGBTQIA+ leaders in organizational work relations and how these facets impact their self-efficacy as leaders which results in their perceived ability to get promoted as leaders.

Fassinger et al. (2010) have developed a model that suggests three intersecting dimensions as relevant to LGBTQIA+ identity status in a leadership role: a) sexual orientation, in relation to the disclosure of identity; b) gender orientation, including the gender of the leader; and c) the situation, related to the composition of your group. Leadership is always exercised within a context, the most relevant factors for sexual minorities being stigma and marginalization.

This research is exploratory in nature, utilizing a quantitative approach and data collection through a survey. We carried out data collection through the online questionnaire with LGBTQIA+ individuals who belonged to a leadership position. We used a coexistence sampling, characterized as non-probabilistic, and obtained a return of 1.156 respondents. As for data analysis, we performed a descriptive analysis identifying the main barriers and challenges. In addition, to test the theoretical model suggested, we used the Smart PLS 3.0 software to perform the Structural Equation Modeling analysis.

Our findings highlight issues of group composition, their diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity as the main barriers and challenges. The validation of hypotheses favored the understanding that the difficulties faced by LGBTQIA+ people at work equip them with useful skills that can be directed towards leadership (Fassinger et al., 2010), leading these professionals to be more willing to take action (O'Brien, 2020). Thus, superior performance is a strategy used by LGBTQIA+ employees to deal with the barriers and challenges faced in the work environment (Mara et al., 2021).

Our findings shows that some barriers and challenges experienced by LGBTQIA+ leaders, despite having implications for the work environment, did not negatively influence their Leadership Self-Efficacy (LSE), with the exception of the Activism for Diversity and Inclusivity. This suggests that LGBTQIA+ leaders have navigated these barriers and challenges, stood up to them, and gained their leadership positions and emerged victorious. In contrast, new LGBTQIA+ workers may feel these barriers and challenges more palpably and prevent them from dreaming of becoming organizational leaders.

Fassinger, R., Shullman, S., & Stevenson, M. (2010). Toward an affirmative lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender leadership paradigm. American Psych., 65(3), 201-215. Kamasak, R., Ozbilgin, M., Baykut, S., & Yavuz, M. (2020). Moving from intersectional hostility to intersectional solidarity: insights from LGBTQ individuals in Turkey. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33(3), 456-476. Mara, L., Ginieis, M., & Brunet-Icart, I. (2021). Strategies for coping with LGBT discrimination at work: a systematic literature review. Sex. Res. S. P., 18(2), 339-354.