Navigating organizational diversity: addressing transphobia among human resources professionals

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to analyze the relationship between attitudes towards organizational diversity and towards trans people, correlating them with the levels of transphobia among HR professionals. Drawing upon the Intergroup Contact Theory, we also seek to understand whether the results may be influenced by the contact variable.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through the administration of a questionnaire to a sample of 184 HR professionals. The questionnaire was comprised of self-constructed questions and previously validated scales, including: Attitudes Toward Diversity Scale (ATDS) (Montei et al., 1996), Attitudes Toward Transgendered Individuals (ATTI) Scale (Walch et al., 2012) and Genderism and Transphobia Scale (GTS) (Hill and Willoughby, 2005).FindingsThe results do not show high levels of negative attitudes towards organizational diversity or intolerance towards trans people, being these variables correlated, with higher levels of intolerance in the portion of the sample without contact with trans people.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the increase of knowledge in the field of HR Development Policies focusing on the thematic of Diversity and Inclusion, which is a very current and important topic in organizations today. Also, the relevance and contribution of the study point to the need for Human Resources Management Practices that take on positive discrimination and/or encourage the adoption of affirmative actions by organizations.