Date of Award

8-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Reader/Committee Chair

Ismael Diaz

Abstract

Organizations worldwide are undergoing significant transformations driven by employees’ demands for healthier, more inclusive workplaces (Mercer, 2022). This shift amplified by the influx of Gen Z and Millennial workers, whose higher rates of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) identification have nearly doubled the proportion of sexual- and gender-minority employees over the past decade, reshaping work dynamics. Yet, nearly half of all LGBT employees experience unfair treatment based on their gender identity or sexual orientation (Sears et al., 2021). LGBTQIA+ identity and hostile workplace climates, marked by mistreatment and discrimination, negatively impact organizational effectiveness by undermining employee well-being and performance. Research and theory have identified supportive leadership as a key factor in enhancing organizational outcomes, and recent studies suggest that remote work may reduce exposure to workplace microaggressions (Amerikaner et al., 2023). The primary objective of this study was to explore LGBTQIA+ identity and workplace climate as drivers of mistreatment and investigate protective measures to mitigate discrimination and its adverse effects on LGBTQIA+ employees. This study utilized a range of instruments to assess employee attitudes, behaviors, and performance, critical to organizational effectiveness to investigate the buffering effects of supportive leadership and work modalities, exploring whether workplaces with supportive leaders alleviate adverse effects, while remote/hybrid work modalities offer safer alternatives for LGBTQIA+ employees compared to traditional on-site roles. An online survey was distributed to adults employed in the United States (N = 327). Hierarchical regression analyses conducted in SPSS showed that the hypothesized model was partially supported. Workplace climate was found to be the most significant predictor of mistreatment, health, and work outcomes, while LGBTQIA+ identity significantly predicted mistreatment and mental well-being. Additionally, supportive leadership was shown to significantly reduce turnover intention in hostile workplace climates, and remote work significantly improved mental health outcomes in hostile climates. This research emphasizes the need for supportive workplace climates to reduce discrimination towards LGBTQIA+ employees and contributes to the limited literature on remote work as a strategy for mitigating mistreatment in hostile environments. Practical and theoretical implications, along with suggestions for future research, are discussed.

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