Originally published here.

The available literature of current LGBT workplace issues is well over 30 years old. Fur-ther studies are needed about the challenges facing this community in the modern workplace.The lack of awareness does not mean that there is not a need for further studies. For ex-ample, the Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences has published very little on LGBTsports (Washington & McKay, 2011). Additionally, the well-known professional female soc-cer player Megan Rapinoe has faced numerous challenges as an LGBT player in her fight for sports equality in terms of racism, gender, and sexuality.

This journal has not yet published current research that explores LGBT issues such as pay differences, equality within theworkplace, and employment discrimination. Typically, most organizational literature paintsa broader picture of gender inequality that has received more than its fair share of attentionin the research. The evidence of this disparity of necessary research is shown by the lack of coverage of masculinity (Mills & Mills, 2006), gender diversity management, and workplace sexual harassment (Goswami & Kishor, 2018; Hunter, 2018).The Inclusion, Diversity, Accessibility, and Equality (IDA&E) approach has been theguiding principle within organizational business establishments.

This approach does not havethe “one size fits all” ideology, and the definitions are adapted to reffect the organizationalwork guidelines. According to Tran (2019), the inclusion definition refers to the intentional,ongoing effort to ensure that those with unique identities can fully participate in all areas of the work culture environment. This participation includes leadership positions, staff devel-opment decisions, and the daily decision-making processes to reach the organization’s ob- jectives.

This approach would value how diverse individuals with different thinking skillsare valued as respected members within the workplace and are fully welcomed within the or-ganizational structure. Furthermore, this article has noted that the term “equity” refers to apractical approach that ensures that everyone involved within the organization has access toan equal say in the decisions, respect from others, and equal pay.However, this process acknowledges that advantages and barriers exist because not ev-eryone starts from the same place within the workplace.

Barriers could have prevented pro-motions, pay raises, and respect from peers. Inequality is acknowledged for staff develop-ment deficits, pay differences, contributions to the work duties, and professional growth inthe work environment. The equality process involves the fair and just treatment of all em-ployees, regardless of race, gender identity, and religious preferences. This approach requiresdeliberate commitment and continuous attention to strategic priorities, resource availability,mutual respect, and civility within the organization, along with ongoing progress reviews andassessments to achieve specific workplace objectives.

According to a published dissertation, Tran (2019) noted that without inclusion, diversity,and equality policies within an institution, workplace bullying could occur and would affect job satisfaction; emotional, social, and institutional barriers constantly remind us of our dif-ferences. Tran is a first-generation college student from a working-class Vietnamese familywho was fleeing communism. At the time, there was not enough rice and soy sauces to feedall, and no funds for a college education. Self-initiative, persistence, ambition, and academicaptitude enabled the student to complete college and graduate school while working. Accordingly, diverse core values of social justice, service, and integrity provided the compass thathas guided the individual through their academic journey and career.Furthermore, many of the world’s business organizations and employers are looking fornew opportunities to increase diversity within a workplace that includes LGBT employees byusing the latest innovations in diversity management skills to build and maximize the work-force’s contributions. This diversity can improve business products, services, and new ideasfor new business objectives. As a result, this approach can provide the organization with new talent, innovative ideas, concepts, skills, and multilingual opportunities to increase work performance in the most effective ways possible.

The research is unclear concerning the processes that contribute to LGBT employee satis-faction to retain, promote, and increase employee engagement in a thriving work environment(Pink, Harper, Davis, & Burnside, 2016). How have diversity management practices affected employee population? Accordingly, in some organizations provide lower paying for LGBTemployees and/ equal rights for their spouses.

This research found that the US Office of Per-sonnel Management (OPM) data investigated the level of diversity management practices andskills utilization has affected this employee population. As a result, employee perceptions of diversity management do have an impact on employees’ perception of the various job duties.Further research indicates inclusion within the LGBT workplace environment does pro-vide sensitivity to the differences within this community. This education is valuable to em-ployers, organizations, administration, and colleagues to create an inclusive and safe work environment for all employees.Researchers are paying attention to negative stereotypical terms such as biphobia, bi-negativity, and transphobia to describe the LGBT community (Nair &Vohra, 2015; Sharma,2016).

These terms have mobilized researchers to expose and interrogate specific gender/sexual discrimination that certain members experience in the LGBT culture. One overlooked re-search area is the employment experience of bisexuals. In addition, transgender employeesin past studies are compared with gay men and lesbians under the variations with the LGBTacronym (Köllen 2013, 2016).

There are significant differences in how bisexual and trans-gender individuals experience a vastly different work environment that involves employmentdiscrimination, pay discrepancies, and disclosure of identity within management strategies(Connell, 2010; Köllen, 2013).The researchers Green, Payne, and Green (2011) conducted an international survey of the bisexual population’s experience of identity disclosure. The individual who is “out” as a bissexual correlates with a higher quality of worklife, especially when managers and employers are committed to policy and organizational practices that promote a positive outlook to gender identity and sexual orientation.

The positive promotion of diversity and inclusion within the workplace can create an in-novative, dynamic learning experience for instructors and management leadership. The lead-ership and the instructional process create a motivating environment to empower employeesto grow and evolve. Employees like to be recognized for outstanding performance, such as founding a solution to an accounting problem or creating a new diversity training seminar. Employee diversity managers can create successful programs to promote inclusion contributions,employee-of-the month or year ceremonies, and reward systems to celebrate na organization’s diversity.

In conclusion, most of the available research focuses on visible group diversity, such as gender, age, and race. Diversity benefits are acknowledged as a widely researched topic within the scientific and educational fields to provide timely information to improve work environ-ments and classrooms. A drawback of this research is the lack of research on individualdiversity in religion, sexual orientation, and status within the family unit that is not viewedas a worthy research topic. The individual in our world has a uniqueness that can bring es-sential value to the organization as a vital contributor its success in an inclusive manner that celebrates diversity.

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