Interpersonal Antecedents to Selective Disclosure of Lesbian and Gay Identities at Work

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) employees’ sexual identitymay be considered a concealable stigmatised identity. Disclosing it to others at work could potentially lead to discrimination and rejection, hence threatening their inclusion. Therefore, they may hide their sexual identity instead, which may then come at the cost of, e.g., guilt for not living authentically. However, disclosure is a continuum—rather than a dichotomy—meaning that LGB workers may decide to disclose selectively, i.e., telling some, but not all co‐workers. Most literature on disclosure focuses on the interplay between intrapersonal (e.g., psychological) and contextual (e.g., organisational) characteristics, thereby somewhat overlooking the role of interpersonal (e.g., relational) characteristics. In this article, we present findings from semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews with nine Dutch lesbian and gay employees, conducted in early 2020, to gain a better understanding of interpersonal antecedents to disclosure decisions at work. Through our thematic analysis, we find that LGB workers may adopt a proactive or reactive approach to disclosure, which relates to the salience of their sexual identity at work (high/low) and their concern for anticipated acceptance. Other themes facilitating disclosure include an affective dimension, being in a relationship, and associating with the employee resource group. We demonstrate the importance of studying disclosure at the interpersonal level and reflect on how our findings relate to literature on disclosure, authenticity, belonging, and social inclusion of LGB individuals at work.

A systematic review on autistic people’s experiences of stigma and coping strategies

Autism can be understood as a concealable stigmatised identity. This is the first systematic review to synthesise the literature on autistic people’s experiences of stigma and coping strategies. 2877 records were screened and 26 studies included in this review. The reviewed literature demonstrates that autistic individuals are acutely aware of being stereotyped, judged, and discriminated by others. Autistic people also show signs of internalising stigma, rendering them more vulnerable to low self-worth and poorer mental health. To manage the impact of stigma, the included studies suggest that autistic individuals may use these strategies: concealment and camouflaging, selective disclosure and self-advocacy, as well as positive reframing and reconstructing identity. However, the evidence is limited and mixed in terms of how helpful and effective these strategies are. Future studies should include autistic populations with a wider range of intellectual abilities and explore interventions that seek to support autistic people in managing stigma. The power of language in perpetuating and challenging stigma also has important implications for research and practice, underscoring the need for researchers and practitioners to reflect carefully on the messages they are communicating about autism.

Perceived Stigma as a Contextual Barrier to Early Uptake of HIV Testing, Treatment Initiation, and Disclosure; The Case of Patients Admitted with AIDS-Related Illness in a Rural Hospital in South Africa

We explored the extent to which perceived HIV-related stigma influences the disclosure and concealment of HIV status to family among adult patients hospitalised for AIDS-related illness, and described reports of negative responses and enacted stigma following disclosure. We conducted interviews with a purposeful sample of 28 adult patients in a rural South African hospital. Data analysis was deductive and inductive and followed the thematic approach. We found evidence of delayed HIV diagnosis and initiation of treatment. There was delayed and selective disclosure as well as concealment of the HIV-positive status. The disclosure was delayed for months or even years. During that time, there was active concealment of the HIV status to avoid stigma from family, friends, and community. When disclosure occurred, there was selective disclosure to close family members who would keep the secret and respond favorably. Although the participants disclosed mostly to close family, some of their post-disclosure experiences included incidents of enacted stigma and discrimination. The fear of perceived stigma and self-stigma influenced the active concealment of their HIV status from others. Continuous concealment of one’s HIV status and delayed disclosure limit the opportunities for support and care. There is a need to take into consideration the interaction between HIV-related stigma and disclosure to develop disclosure-counselling strategies in primary health care settings.

The Pitfall of Selective Environmental Information Disclosure on Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence From Polluting Listed Companies in China

Due to incomplete legal regulation, enterprises have the motive of selective environmental information disclosure (EID), and such selective disclosure strategy may result in stock price crash risk. In this study, the EID scores of China’s 1,010 polluting listed companies between 2007 and 2017 are first measured by employing the text analysis approach. Subsequently, we empirically examine the impacts of corporate’s selective EID on the stock price crash risk. The results indicate that EID of China’s polluting listed companies has significantly increased their stock price crash risk, rather than reducing it. Specifically, the EID of polluting companies with lower information efficiency, higher inefficient investment, higher degree of government control, and location in lower marketization areas is more likely to increase their stock price crash risk. Additional analyses reveal that the EID of polluting listed companies in China cannot reduce their stock price synchronization, which means that the selective disclosure of environmental information of China’s polluting listed companies is useless, and thus cannot reduce the risk of stock price crash.

Experiences of stigma and discrimination among people living with dementia and family carers in Brazil: qualitative study

This study aimed to understand stigma in relation to people living with dementia in São Paulo, Brazil. A critical narrative inquiry methodology was used. Home-based semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and March 2020 with six people living with dementia and 15 family carers. Data analysis was conducted using inductive and deductive techniques. The latter was informed by Link and Phelan's sociological theory of stigma. We found that dementia was commonly viewed by people living with dementia as part of ageing and carers reported low levels of knowledge and awareness about the condition. To avoid negative reactions from people, people living with dementia managed the negative views of dementia by minimising and normalising the condition, by expressing their ability to live an active life, and by emphasising the positive impacts of dementia in their lives. Fear of negative reactions appeared to lead to a selective disclosure of their diagnosis. Among carers, stigmatising attitudes coincided with a strong willingness to provide good care, to protect the person cared for, as well as to understand and validate their own caring experiences, rather than to cause any harm. In doing so, however, carers ended up depersonalising and infantilising people living with dementia, underestimating their capacities, demanding ‘obedience’ and restricting the person's freedom. There is a need to increase awareness about dementia and to provide support and training on person-centred and ethical care for carers in Brazil.

Utilising dialogic corporate web communication: the case of reputational risk management at Tabung Haji

Advances in digital technology enable organisations to engage in two-way, dialogic communication for improved connectivity with stakeholders. However, the willingness of organisations to leverage on such forms of communication is questionable, particularly in relation to communicating about a crisis. In this article, we examine the corporate web communication practices of Tabung Haji, a corporation plagued by allegations of financial mismanagement. Drawing on a framework for assessing effective corporate communication, we examined the corporate web disclosure practices of the organisation as manifested in its website and Facebook page. While there was evidence of opportunities for dialogic communication with stakeholders, the analysis revealed that efficient communication was compromised because the organisation continued to practice strategic silencing and selective disclosure of information. As such, relational connectivity was weak, and there appeared to be a reluctance to leverage on text-external features offered by web communication to mitigate reputational risk.