Research Rodeo 2
Hello everyone,
When my friend, Holly, saw my previous Research Roundup, she told me she had misread it as Research Rodeo. I kinda like that name more so here we go, Research Rodeo 2! Before we begin, I do want to mention a couple of things. First, I will be off next week. This upcoming weekend in Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, and I will be spending time preparing and celebrating with my friends and family. Second, I will be playing around soon with a paid service. My main newsletter will remain free but I do hope to include some other options for paid subscribers. If there is anything else you would like to see from my newsletter, comment below!
There are three articles which have recently been published in academic journals I want to talk about this week (and, as always, if you want access to any of them, please let me know):
DuBois & Arena, Jr (2023) wrote “Bisexual authenticity and job attitudes: The impact of seeing similar others at work”. Bisexuality sometimes gets lost in discussions of LGBTQIA+ issues, called Bi-erasure, especially when bisexual and pansexual individuals are in opposite-sex relationships. In this study, the authors found that visibility of bisexual employees leads to lower self-alienation of other bisexual employees and, therefore, lower turnover. Basically, if you want your bisexual employees to feel more welcome, there needs to be openly bisexual employees and an environment where bisexual and pansexual individuals feel comfortable being open.
Nolan et al. (2023) wrote “Early Access to Testosterone Therapy in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adults Seeking Masculinization”. Though randomized clinical trials are not necessarily the gold standard or the be-all end-all of research, they are often treated as such. This study compares transgender individuals who got testosterone therapy with those who did not. To the surprise of no one, it found those who got testosterone had lower levels of depression and suicidality. This just adds to the many many studies which show the importance of gender-affirming care for transgender individuals.
Roberson et al. (2023) wrote “LGBTQ Systems: A Framework and Future Research Agenda”. Their study ask what creates a welcoming environment for LGBTQ employees. Most of their analysis can be found in the figure below. Based on their research, there are LGBTQ systems of anti-discrimination policies, representation of LGBTQ employees, work-family balance, inclusion of LGBTQ employees, and corporate social responsibility towards LGBTQ employees which are part of making a supportive climate. Importantly, these policies need to be distinct (specific and clear), consistent (consistently applied), and have a consensus (this is what LGBTQ employees want). This provides a framework for employers to think about what LGBTQ employees want but also making sure that their policies are clear and implemented.
For all of my Jewish followers, I wish you a Shanah Tovah, a Happy New Year. I look forward to continuing this newsletter into 5784. And please feel free to leave a comment below or subscribe.