Why LGBTQ Workplace Inclusion Fails: Prioritizing Barriers for Effective Organizational Intervention

Abstract

Workplace inclusion of the LGBTQ community has always been a subjugated area, earlier due to the rigid societal belief system and now due to the legal backlash. But the studies show that the organizations for moral responsibility and competitive advantage are rebranding their DEI strategies. So, for such organizations it is necessary to have a detailed understanding of barriers that obstruct the intent and efforts towards meaningful inclusion. A lot of studies have identified barriers, but there remains a gap in the barriers that needs immediate attention. Addressing this gap, this study systematically prioritizes and models the interrelationships among barriers to LGBTQ workplace inclusion using an integrated multi-criteria decision-making framework combining the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL). Based on an extensive review of 55 studies, the study discusses three major categories: legal and cultural barriers, structural barriers, and leadership & stakeholder barriers. Expert judgments were obtained from twenty scholars and practitioners in human resource management, DEI, and organizational behavior to evaluate barrier salience under conditions of uncertainty and subjectivity. By combining prioritizing and causation analysis, this study views LGBTQ workplace exclusion as a systemic and interdependent phenomenon, providing theoretically informed and practically actionable recommendations for organizations and governments pursuing long-term inclusion outcomes.