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Because You’re Worth the Risks: Acts of Oppositional Courage as Symbolic Messages of Relational Value to Transgender Employees

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Christian Thoroughgood at Villanova University
Christian Thoroughgood
Katina B. Sawyer
Katina B. Sawyer
Katina B. Sawyer
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Jennica R. Webster at Marquette University
Jennica R. Webster
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Abstract

Achieving greater social equity in organizations often depends on majority members taking risks to challenge the status quo on behalf of their colleagues with stigmatized identities. But, how do employees enact courageous behavior in this regard, and what are the social implications of these courageous acts on stigmatized group members who witness them at work? To begin examining these questions, we conducted 4 studies using qualitative and quantitative data collected from 428 transgender employees. Drawing on the core principles of sociometer theory, we argue that these acts of oppositional courage serve an important symbolic function in the eyes of transgender employees in that they convey a powerful, public message regarding their value as organizational members. This message of value likely has key implications for their organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and, in turn, their job attitudes and wellbeing. In Study 1, we employed a critical incident technique to generate qualitative accounts of participants' exposure to these courageous acts in support of their trans identities at work. In Study 2, we experimentally manipulated trans participants' exposure to these behaviors to examine their impact on individuals' anticipated levels of OBSE. In Study 3, we developed a measure of oppositional courage and conducted tests of its construct validity. In Study 4, using a time-lagged survey design, we found that trans employees' perceptions of oppositional courage were positively related to their job satisfaction and negatively related to their emotional exhaustion via their OBSE. Yet, these indirect effects were moderated by the centrality of participants' trans identity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Because You’re Worth the Risks: Acts of Oppositional Courage as
Symbolic Messages of Relational Value to Transgender Employees
Christian N. Thoroughgood
Villanova University Katina B. Sawyer
The George Washington University
Jennica R. Webster
Marquette University
Achieving greater social equity in organizations often depends on majority members taking risks to
challenge the status quo on behalf of their colleagues with stigmatized identities. But, how do employees
enact courageous behavior in this regard, and what are the social implications of these courageous acts
on stigmatized group members who witness them at work? To begin examining these questions, we
conducted 4 studies using qualitative and quantitative data collected from 428 transgender employees.
Drawing on the core principles of sociometer theory, we argue that these acts of oppositional courage
serve an important symbolic function in the eyes of transgender employees in that they convey a
powerful, public message regarding their value as organizational members. This message of value likely
has key implications for their organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and, in turn, their job attitudes and
wellbeing. In Study 1, we employed a critical incident technique to generate qualitative accounts of
participants’ exposure to these courageous acts in support of their trans identities at work. In Study 2, we
experimentally manipulated trans participants’ exposure to these behaviors to examine their impact on
individuals’ anticipated levels of OBSE. In Study 3, we developed a measure of oppositional courage and
conducted tests of its construct validity. In Study 4, using a time-lagged survey design, we found that
trans employees’ perceptions of oppositional courage were positively related to their job satisfaction and
negatively related to their emotional exhaustion via their OBSE. Yet, these indirect effects were
moderated by the centrality of participants’ trans identity.
Keywords: allyship, diversity and inclusion, transgender employees, workplace courage, workplace
discrimination
Supplemental materials: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/apl0000515.supp
“Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work
to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts
of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man
stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes
out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.”
—Robert F. Kennedy
Social change often requires courageous behavior. Although cour-
age is naturally associated with minority members who strike out
against injustice toward their identity group, it is also a vital, yet often
overlooked, part of speaking out in support of stigmatized groups. In
the workplace, this is no less true. Indeed, nearly all workplaces are
governed by formal and informal hierarchies, whereby discrimination
may often serve to protect the status quo (Cortina, 2008). Thus, taking
the initiative to oppose noninclusive policies, norms, or behavior
toward those with stigmatized identities may carry risks. Such risks
include career derailment, social isolation, and incurring stigma via
one’s association with a socially devalued identity group (Briscoe &
Gupta, 2016; Kulik, Bainbridge, & Cregan, 2008).
Yet, few systematic efforts have been made to examine the
nature of courage as it relates to speaking up for the rights and
welfare of employees with stigmatized identities. This is despite
calls for research that explores the various strategies through
Christian N. Thoroughgood, Department of Psychological and Brain Sci-
ences and Graduate Programs in Human Resource Development, Villanova Uni-
versity; Katina B. Sawyer, Department of Management, School of Business, The
George Washington University; Jennica R. Webster, Department of Management,
College of Business Administration, Marquette University.
We thank Mark Leary, Evan Bruno, Winny Shen, and Kristen Shockley
for their helpful comments and feedback on prior versions of this article, as
well as Herman Aguinis for his valuable guidance on statistical and
methodological issues. We especially thank the many trans employees who
took the time to share their workplace experiences with us, and we
acknowledge those who have demonstrated courage to stand up and make
a positive difference in their work lives.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Christian
N. Thoroughgood, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and
Graduate Programs in Human Resource Development, Villanova Univer-
sity, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Suite 119, St. Mary’s Hall, Villanova, PA
19085. E-mail: christian.thoroughgood@villanova.edu
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Journal of Applied Psychology
© 2020 American Psychological Association
ISSN: 0021-9010 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/apl0000515
399
2021, Vol. 106, No. 3, 399–421
This article was published Online First May 28, 2020.
... At the individual level, although there are many examples of conflictual cross-group interactions, individuals have the potential to embrace diversity and thrive in integrated workplaces (Bai et al., 2020). Individual acts in isolation are unlikely to generate organizational change, but groups of employees can profoundly affect norms and experiences of inclusion (Briscoe & Safford, 2008;Thoroughgood et al., 2021). Various mechanisms facilitate progress toward inclusion: Minorities who share their experiences generate emotional contagion and pressure for social change (Leigh & Melwani, 2019); acts of oppositional courage and positive deviance, in aggregate, lead to more meaningful interactions and improved cross-group relationships (Leigh & Melwani, 2019;Thoroughgood et al., 2021); managers are modifying habits, engaging in storytelling to advocate for new approaches, and encouraging conscious reflection on dysfunctional routines (Gondo & Amis, 2013). ...
... Individual acts in isolation are unlikely to generate organizational change, but groups of employees can profoundly affect norms and experiences of inclusion (Briscoe & Safford, 2008;Thoroughgood et al., 2021). Various mechanisms facilitate progress toward inclusion: Minorities who share their experiences generate emotional contagion and pressure for social change (Leigh & Melwani, 2019); acts of oppositional courage and positive deviance, in aggregate, lead to more meaningful interactions and improved cross-group relationships (Leigh & Melwani, 2019;Thoroughgood et al., 2021); managers are modifying habits, engaging in storytelling to advocate for new approaches, and encouraging conscious reflection on dysfunctional routines (Gondo & Amis, 2013). For example, Arlan Hamilton founded Backstage Capital to provide venture capital to women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ founders (Backstage Capital, 2024). ...
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