NEWS & INSIGHT
STUDY ON TRANSGENDER RIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF RAISING EMPLOYEE AWARENESS
SCHOOL : University of Exeter Business School COUNTRY : UK
Support for transgender employment rights in the US is overstated for reasons of social desirability but is still more widespread than most people believe it to be, according to a new study involving the University of Exeter Business School. In a survey of 1,800 people, two thirds were genuinely comfortable with the idea of having a transgender manager at work and were supportive of non‑discrimination employment legislation protecting transgender people. This proportion was found using a ‘double-list’ technique intended to correct for social desirability bias, in which respondents either exaggerate or downplay support based on what they perceive to be socially acceptable. Using comparisons across the lists, the researchers could estimate the true share of respondents who agreed with key statements. Indeed, when looking at direct results, the level of support for transgender people in the workplace was 8-10 per cent higher. “It is crucial to have a baseline understanding of people’s true attitudes to assess the effectiveness of policies and initiatives aimed at reducing discrimination and promoting inclusion,” said study co-author and University of Exeter Business School lecturer Dario Sansone.
Support for transgender minorities in the labour market was found to be higher among women, sexual minorities and those signifying a political preference for the US Democratic Party, compared with other groups. In addition, the overall level of support was found to be higher than respondents anticipated, with widespread backing for a 2020 US Supreme Court ruling banning discrimination against transgender people at work. This, as Sansone explained, has clear implications for policymakers and educators. “As most respondents underestimated the amount of acceptance of transgender inclusion in the workplace, informing individuals about the real level of support could potentially shift individuals’ views, in line with other studies on gender norms. “However, if these mismatches between beliefs and actual views are not corrected, such misperceptions could lend legitimacy to anti-transgender policies that most people may not support,” explained Sansone. The study, entitled Understanding Labour Market Discrimination Against Transgender People , was published in Management Science . TBD
Ambition | JUNE 2024 | 11
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