The Rainbow Glass Ceiling: Breaking Barriers for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Board Diversity
研究董事会多元化中LGBTQ+群体面临的彩虹玻璃天花板机制，借鉴生物学和管理学解释其适应策略，为政策制定提供框架以促进LGBTQ+在董事会中的接纳与可见性。
Board diversity has attracted scholarly interest over recent decades, as achieving diverse boards has become a crucial goal of many firms and policymakers worldwide. However, the predominant focus of both research and practice regarding board diversity largely excludes individuals who do not identify or behave according to their sex assigned at birth—that is, those belonging to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other identities (LGBTQ+) community. In this study, I take a closer look at board diversity by unpacking the mechanisms of the rainbow glass ceiling, defined as the barriers that prevent LGBTQ+ individuals from reaching top corporate positions, including board membership. I then draw on biological sciences to identify LGBTQ+s’ behavioral adaptation strategies for overcoming the rainbow glass ceiling to become board directors and subsequently build on management research to explain why they choose such strategies. In doing so, I offer a framework for the development and implementation of policies and practices to lower the barriers that LGBTQ+s face to reach and thrive in the boardroom, thus paving way for their acceptance and visibility at the corporate apex.