LGBT policies and inclusion in the workplace

Abstract

The term diversity has been used to describe differences among workforces. These differences can be demographic differences (McGrath, Berdahl, & Arrow, 1995) and differences in perspectives (Larkey, 1996). Moreover, these differences can be attributed to some observable or unobservable characteristics (Milliken & Martins, 1996). Rather than emphasizing the differences among individuals in the workplace; inclusion focuses on, the degree to which an employee is viewed and feels like a part of the organisation. Thomas and Ely (1996) identified three diversity perspectives that explained how likely workgroups were to realize the benefits of their diversity: • Integration-and-Learning Perspective: It says that the diverse insights, skills and experience that employees have developed should be leveraged to rethink the products, strategies and business practices in a way to advance the company’s mission. • Access-and-Legitimacy Perspective: It focuses on matching the diversity within the organisation to that of the market, to gain access and legitimacy in the market. • Discrimination-and-Fairness Perspective: This believes in ensuring justice, fair treatment and equal opportunities to all members of the society as well as eliminating any form of discrimination. LGBT Diversity: Diversity at workplace is witnessing an increasing trend as a result of globalization and the demand for equal rights for the workers and a good manager should be able to manage this increasingly diverse workforce successfully. One such group is the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. Though there are no accurate numbers for the LGBT population, various estimates put them between two percent to ten percent of the total population for various countries, making them a strong minority group.