TY - JOUR
T1 - Minority support
T2 - Friendship and the development of gay and lesbian managerial careers and identities
AU - Rumens, Nick
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Purpose: This paper aims to explore how gay men and lesbians draw upon workplace friendship for developing and sustaining managerial careers and identities. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative design, using data collected from semi-structured interviews with four lesbians and eight gay men, all employed in managerial roles in the UK. Findings: Data reveal the importance of workplace friendship as a resource for mentoring, climbing managerial career ladders, fitting into existing work cultures and developing gay and lesbian managerial identities. A significant finding is that participants preferred to befriend heterosexual colleagues, to that end complicating previous research that suggests gay and lesbian friendship preferences tend to be marked by similarity in regard to sexual identity. Work friends enable and constrain the development and visibility of gay and lesbian managerial identities and careers. Research limitations/implications - Although the data are not generalisable, it is of concern that gay men and lesbians continue to be disadvantaged by heteronormative constructions of gender and sexuality. While gender and sexual norms can limit the visibility and embodiment of gay and lesbian managers in the workplace, the study reveals also how gay sexualities can be utilised as a resource for developing influential friendships. Originality/value: This article provides insights into issues not previously covered or understudied in the organisation studies literature such as the agency of gay men and lesbians in constructing different types of workplace friendships as a resource for developing managerial identities and careers.
AB - Purpose: This paper aims to explore how gay men and lesbians draw upon workplace friendship for developing and sustaining managerial careers and identities. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative design, using data collected from semi-structured interviews with four lesbians and eight gay men, all employed in managerial roles in the UK. Findings: Data reveal the importance of workplace friendship as a resource for mentoring, climbing managerial career ladders, fitting into existing work cultures and developing gay and lesbian managerial identities. A significant finding is that participants preferred to befriend heterosexual colleagues, to that end complicating previous research that suggests gay and lesbian friendship preferences tend to be marked by similarity in regard to sexual identity. Work friends enable and constrain the development and visibility of gay and lesbian managerial identities and careers. Research limitations/implications - Although the data are not generalisable, it is of concern that gay men and lesbians continue to be disadvantaged by heteronormative constructions of gender and sexuality. While gender and sexual norms can limit the visibility and embodiment of gay and lesbian managers in the workplace, the study reveals also how gay sexualities can be utilised as a resource for developing influential friendships. Originality/value: This article provides insights into issues not previously covered or understudied in the organisation studies literature such as the agency of gay men and lesbians in constructing different types of workplace friendships as a resource for developing managerial identities and careers.
KW - Career development
KW - Gay men
KW - Identity
KW - Lesbians
KW - Managers
KW - Workplace friendship
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80054951649&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/02610151111157684
DO - 10.1108/02610151111157684
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:80054951649
SN - 2040-7149
VL - 30
SP - 444
EP - 462
JO - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
JF - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
IS - 6
ER -