Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus U., Netherlands
This study delves into the dynamics of stigma management within organizational settings, particularly focusing on the engagement of LGBTQIA+ employees in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at Brazilcar, the Brazilian subsidiary of a multinational automaker. Over a six-year period, using ethnographic methods, interviews, and secondary sources, we explore the nuanced ways in which stigmatized employees navigate destigmatization efforts. Our findings contribute to stigma literature by identifying four distinct engagement trajectories: continuous engagement, later disengagement, continuous disengagement, and later engagement, each reflecting varied responses to organizational DEI initiatives and internal and external stigmatization episodes. Theoretically, this research challenges the prevailing assumption in stigma literature that identity management preferences are the sole determinants of stigmatized employees' participation in DEI efforts over time. Instead, we propose that their engagement is dynamically influenced by the unfolding of initiatives and the reaction of various audiences. Additionally, we uncover the unintended consequence of participant homogenization in DEI initiatives, a phenomenon that risks marginalizing the most stigmatized members and narrows the focus of these initiatives. By situating our investigation within the context of LGBTQIA+ employees in a Brazilian multinational corporation, the study adds to the underrepresented discourse on sexual orientation-based stigma in workplace settings.
