This study aims to examine the idea that the pink plateau exists for those who identify as LGBTQ. There is very little research on this topic, in contrast to the feminist theory of the glass ceiling. The conceptual framework for this study considers how these people have achieved leadership success and broken through the pink plateau. Therefore, this study's aims and objectives were conceived to address the research gaps which appear to highlight a lack of scholarly concern for how LGBTQ people from the UK achieve their leadership positions. Equally, there is little published knowledge of whether those people who have achieved their success have been supported by champions, allies or whether this was related to their social class. The equality act 2010 is in place to provide employment protection, and the participants shared their views of its success as a stand-alone piece of legislation. However, the scant literature that exists does not examine how well it works or how it is embedded into employment settings. Therefore, to provide more depth to this study, I examined leadership styles and the potential to link characterised associations of gender or sexuality to them. Although some comparisons on this subject can be drawn from other countries, the key focus of this research is LGBTQ English business leaders, the pink plateau and British law. The study provides valuable insight into this under-researched topic, using semi-structured interviews and examining the findings using interpretive phenomenological analysis to understand the participants’ lived experiences from growing up, and working experiences in public, private and third sectors. Often the participants shaped their leadership delivery to fit in, for example to be more authoritative or remain strategically closeted. It was found that internal and external cultural influences and business sectors continue to hold many biased views despite attempts by organisations to remove them. These findings help to fill the paucity of knowledge as these topics have only been considered in specific industries or individual groups under the banner of LGBTQ. However, this research paves the way for further studies to be undertaken in the fields of LGBTQ career trajectories and leadership styles.
| Date of Award | 11 Jun 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Jamie Halsall (Main Supervisor) & Andrea Gaynor (Co-Supervisor) |
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