Transgender Employee Performance Qualitative Comparison

Transgender Employee Performance

Qualitative Comparison of Transgender Employee Performance Before and After Transition in the Workplace

Variables and constructs in prior research

The constructs and variables found in the literature in the field of transgender employee performance in the workplace involve two categories: transgender employee performance before transition and transgender performance after transition into the workplace. Input constructs and variables include any changes in the phenomena measured that modify, change or activate a process such as employee performance. Input theory uncovered from the prior research include transgender employee skill sets, the efforts transgender employees put into their work, the expertise transgender employees demonstrate and any qualifications or added benefits acquired from the transgender employee, before and after transition. Output constructs and variables include those variables the researcher may specifically measure. For purposes of this study, based on the information acquired by reviewing prior research, the output measured includes the benefits an employee may realize through transition, the status of the transgender employee, transgender employee performance, and job role and transgender employee benefits including promotion opportunities. Throughput variables include birth sex, sexual orientation, feelings, and the quality of service provided by transgender employees' pre and post transition.

The narrative and descriptive studies included variables involving employee activities and skills while working in public and private entities. The specific variables revealed through prior research include the organization's size, culture, tolerance of diversity and efforts made by organizations to assist transgender employees in their endeavors and desires to remain well-functioning employees and accepted employees from a cultural context.

Variables in proposed dissertation

The primary research questions in the proposed dissertation are "What effects does transition have on transgender employee performance" and "How well do companies work with transgender employees to bolster performance and create a culturally acceptable climate, one that works to support transgender employees and works to help foster acceptance and tolerance." Secondary to this the following questions are addressed: (1) how well do transgender employees perform generally in the workforce (2) are there specific skill sets or job roles transgender employees are most likely to excel in before or after transition (3) what types of job roles do transgender employees occupy generally (4) does the transgender employee's job role and status impact their ability to maintain a sufficient and acceptable performance pre and post transition. The researcher intends to compare information collected from prior research with information gathered from this study to ascertain whether transition has an effect on transgender employee performance, and if it does, to what extent transition affects transgender employee acceptance and performance at work.

The researcher expects the results of this proposed dissertation will fill a void present in current literature that outlines how well transgender employees assimilate regardless of their transition status, and help organizations learn how to develop independent tools for creating a culturally diverse environment, one that is more likely to be accepting of transgender employees regardless of their status. Because much of this research relates to the internal emotions, feelings and perceptions of transgender employees, it is necessary for the researcher to identify the emotions, feelings and self-perceptions of transgender employees before and after transition for the proposed study. This information may be gathered through electronic or hand-delivered anonymous self-report questionnaires provided to study participants (Healy & Perry, 2000; Eisner, 1991; Sanlo, 1998). Because of the sensitivity and nature of the proposed research subject, it is important the researcher fully inform participants of the goal and objectives of the study, the variables intended for study and for the researcher to provide study participants access to the results of the study on request. Matters of consent will be handled through NDA and confidentiality agreements with participant's assigned numbers rather than names to identify their status for purposes of data collection.

The independent variables for the research dissertation proposed include variables the researcher can manipulate; these include transgender employees before transition and transgender employees after transition or a complete sex change. The dependent variables include only those variables the researcher will be able to measure and record, and include the transgender employee's original gender, self-esteem, job-status and socio-economic status. Only nominal variables are allowed in this study for purposes of qualitative research and subsequent classification. For this reason the information gathered on transgender individuals will not be ranked and categorized according to a specific statistical analogy. Rather, the researcher plans to utilize the information gathered for this research in a manner that will allow comparison, contrast and speculation through narrative disclosure. Socioeconomic status is an ordinal variable that will identify participants as having a low, middle or high socio-economic status without a distinct or precise disclosure of the exact economic status of each individual participating in this study.

The correlation aspects of the study explore the relationships between transgender performance before transition and the relationships between transgender performances after full transition. Other correlational measures include secondary correlational aspects, which may include the transgender employee's skill set, previous history of performance, and length of time in the job and their overall interaction and ability to socialize and assimilate into the culture of the organization the participant works for. Correlational measures help the researcher identify any relationships that may exist between the sets of identified variables, including gender, transition, and the type of workplace or work environment, position at work or role within the organization, socioeconomic status and self-esteem.

Quality of measures in prior research

The literature reviewed for the proposed dissertation included correlational, narrative and descriptive studies, typically involving the sex, gender, employee status and employee performance of alternative populations including the transgender population. As there is little research specific to transgender employee performance, the proposed dissertation will rely on close examination of many studies related to employee performance among minority groups. For purposes of the proposed dissertation review, the transgender participants will be labeled as a minority group. In this respect it will be beneficial for the researcher to analyze prior research focusing on employee performance generally among minority individuals. This may allow for greater generalization of the results of the study to minority populations in general, including the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities. Spindelman (2003) notes it is important to consider confounding variables which may include "power, knowledge, domination, oppression and hierarchy" and how these variables relate to one's sexuality in the workplace (p.1). The literature reviews external validity was established by replicating studies and through evaluation of the normal distribution of variables in various settings including those not related to the workplace. Sex harassment is a variable most often studied in transgender research prior to this proposal. The effects of sexual harassment on transgender populations therefore and the subsequent performance of transgender employee's before and after transition must also be a variable worthy of consideration (Spindelman, 2003). One may consider sexual harassment studies in the previous literature worthy of note for providing reliability of information and the results of the study for the proposed dissertation.

Actions to support quality of measures in proposed dissertation

To increase the content validity of the proposed dissertation, the researcher accounts for confounding variables by considering them as independent variables when combining to provide a modified paradigm or theorem of behavior (StatSoft, 2003). The researcher will utilize cross-examination of prior research on minority group status within organizations, with specific concentration on lesbian, gay and bisexual populations to help broaden the information available for review and measurement. Other measures taken to increase the construct validity and quality of the proposed dissertation include precise assessment and statement of the research question and secondary research questions. The researcher will calculate the level of significance of the relationship identified between the variables presented, suggesting a significant difference will or will not exist between transgender employee performance before and after transition (StatSoft, 2003).