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Choosing whether to reveal one’s identity as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) individual can be a difficult decision in the workplace. With the emergence of employee resource groups (ERGs), LGBT ERG leaders are in a particularly unique population, in that they publicly declare their LGBT identity by assuming this leadership role and then openly advocating for an often-hidden identity of others. Nevertheless, there is little understanding as to how this role impacts their own attitudes and identity formation. This qualitative study explored the experiences of forty LGBT ERG leaders. Our research indicates that assuming such a position often forces individuals to reflect on their LGBT identity with greater thought, resulting in often positive experiences. This study has meaningful implications for organizational leaders seeking to develop a more inclusive work environment as well as for LGBT individuals considering participation in an ERG.

Purpose>In today’s ever-increasing context of volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous market conditions, the shifts of countries’ protectionist policies toward inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and an increased gap between headquarters’ (HQ) and subsidiaries’ perspectives on what makes business sense, it has become apparent that challenges toward foreign expansion are becoming more severe and require a multidimensional dynamic approach. The authors draw from orchestration theory, dynamic capabilities literature and previous literature on dimensions of internationalization [specifically, density, geographic distance and degree of diversity of the multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiary network] to argue that firms must enhance their orchestration capability. In doing so, this study aims to highlight the nuances of orchestrating a three-dimensional (3D) conceptualization of MNCs’ international configurations.Design/methodology/approach>The authors analyzed the patterns of configurations that are adopted by MNCs. This sample was made up of the international configuration of 78 Fortune 500 MNCs consisting of 3,318 foreign subsidiaries. Furthermore, the authors examined the impact of different configurations of the 3Ds on firm performance using ordinary least squares regression analysis.Findings>While the research did indicate that the sample MNCs adopted the sample configurations of the three internationalization dimensions more frequently than others, the authors found that orchestrating MNCs with an international configuration characterized by high density, low geographic distance and low internetwork scope diversity had a positive impact on firm performance.Practical implications>While international expansion is often motivated by financial performance or market/resource gains, it is also impacted by the firm’s dynamic capability profile. Thus, as MNCs seek to continue to expand globally, they must assess and, if needed, develop their management team’s orchestration capability, which includes effectively determining how the addition or removal of a subsidiary will impact the density, geographic distance and diversity dynamics of the MNC’s international configuration. Finally, the management team needs to be able to devise plans to respond to the potential challenges associated with each of these dimensions.Originality/value>The contribution of this study includes bringing a dynamic capabilities lens to the extant international business literature examining the multinationality and performance relationship by highlighting the importance of an MNC’s process orchestrating capability that is needed for firms to effectively manage increasingly complex subsidiary networks. It also conceptually explains and empirically supports that some configurations are likely to yield higher returns than others, which can act as a guide for firms as they are seeking to expand in more geographically distant as well as diverse sectors. Furthermore, this study highlights the need for a multidimensional simultaneous approach to the examination of internationalization to performance relationship. Finally, it highlights the tradeoffs that MNCs must address across the orchestration of the three internationalization dimensions using a dynamic capabilities theoretical lens that acknowledges the differences in perspective that exist between HQs and subsidiaries.

Many volunteer organizations offer short-term international voluntary service (IVS) opportunities as an avenue for participants to provide aid and humanitarian relief in international communities. This study empirically examines four potential antecedents of IVS performance among short-term IVS participants in developing countries: IVS participants’ intention to serve in similar IVS roles in the future, whether their IVS is at their preferred geographic location, IVS participants’ prior experience in the host country, and their performance in the sending organization’s trainings prior to the IVS. Utilizing both analyses of variance and OLS regression analysis of 147 IVS participants across 18 developing countries, we find evidence that short-term IVS performance is positively associated with future intentions to participate in IVS, previously having visited the host country, and performance during pre-travel trainings. Further, we analyze 158 blog posts written by 19 sample IVS participants, which provides a unique ‘inside look’ into the relationship between host country language skills and IVS performance.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that employee resource groups (ERGs) are a valuable addition to organizations and should be an important focus of research, particularly given the diversity and inclusion challenges faced by many businesses and communities today. Design/methodology/approach The authors review the ERG literature, develop a theoretical framework using social identity theory (SIT) and suggest research directions. Findings ERGs represent a fairly unexplored area of research. Using SIT, a series of propositions is presented for research into ERG effects on individual, group and organizational outcomes. Research limitations/implications ERGs have impact beyond the topics explored using SIT. As ERGs become more prominent, there is ample room to conduct empirical research to learn more about the underlying process by which ERGs are affecting identity and employee integration (or lack of) into groups and organizations. Originality/value Despite their prevalence in the business world, there has been a scarce amount of theorizing and research focused on ERGs. To help facilitate the development of this work, the authors introduce a theoretical framework using SIT, as well as propositions that can serve to spur additional research on a critical topic for today's businesses.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that employee resource groups (ERGs) are a valuable addition to organizations and should be an important focus of research, particularly given the diversity and inclusion challenges faced by many businesses and communities today. Design/methodology/approach The authors review the ERG literature, develop a theoretical framework using social identity theory (SIT) and suggest research directions. Findings ERGs represent a fairly unexplored area of research. Using SIT, a series of propositions is presented for research into ERG effects on individual, group and organizational outcomes. Research limitations/implications ERGs have impact beyond the topics explored using SIT. As ERGs become more prominent, there is ample room to conduct empirical research to learn more about the underlying process by which ERGs are affecting identity and employee integration (or lack of) into groups and organizations. Originality/value Despite their prevalence in the business world, there has been a scarce amount of theorizing and research focused on ERGs. To help facilitate the development of this work, the authors introduce a theoretical framework using SIT, as well as propositions that can serve to spur additional research on a critical topic for today’s businesses.

This dissertation addresses the following research questions: (1) Does stigma change over time for individual, outside directors of a firm that engages in a stigmatizing event? and, (2) If so, what are the individual and contextual factors that impact this change? To investigate these questions, I draw on institutional theory, signaling theory, and human and social capital arguments to present a multi-theoretical framework that considers how a stigmatizing event can have differing effects on an individual’s attractiveness in the director labor market. As such, the purpose of this dissertation is to investigate how long stigma lasts for directors who served at a firm during a financial restatement event announcement. Furthermore, I examine how the characteristics and backgrounds of each director accelerates or dampens the speed at which the director’s career recovers from being associated with a financial restatement. To do so, I employ a sample of 541 outside directors of public firms that announced a financial restatement in 2004 or 2005, and I track each of these individuals’ board memberships for 10 years following the restatement announcement. After accounting for directors that passed away during the sampling frame, the sample includes 5,285 director-year observations. To test the hypotheses, I employ the Cox Proportional Hazards duration analysis, Logistic Regression analysis, and Accelerated Failure Time analysis. This dissertation makes several important contributions. First, I examine director stigma from a temporal descriptive perspective and present and test a new, dynamic model of stigma deterioration for directors associated with a stigmatizing event using institutional theory, signaling theory, and human and social capital arguments, which contrasts with prior conceptualizations that view stigma as a static or permanent construct. Second, I examine the labor market effects of a restatement announcement event for directors over a ten-year period following the announcement. Finally, I engage in exploratory research regarding what factors might change the impact of a director’s likelihood of joining a new board over time. In doing so, I provide a more nuanced perspective of the effects of a firm’s stigmatizing event on corporate elites over time.