Abstract
While LGBTQ+ employees constitute a significant portion of the U.S. workforce, limited public relations research has focused on their subtle experiences of workplace discriminations and affirmations. To address this gap, our study explores how LGBTQ+ employees’ perceived microaggressions and microaffirmations from coworkers relate to their workplace experiences. Through an online survey of 418 full-time LGBTQ+ employees in the U.S., our findings revealed that their perceived microaggressions and microaffirmations were associated with their organizational justice, which was further related to their communal relationship, exchange relationship, and organizational engagement. Our study contributes to public relations scholarship by incorporating a horizontal perspective in exploring internal communication while enriching our knowledge of LGBTQ+ employees’ experience by examining their perceptions of both microaggressions and microaffirmations in the workplace. Moreover, our findings can provide practical implications to managers and internal communication practitioners to foster an inclusive and LGBTQ+ -friendly workplace for sexual minority employees.
•LGBTQ+ employees’ perceived microaggressions and microaffirmations from coworkers are significantly associated with their perceived organizational justice.•Organizational justice, in turn, positively influences both communal and exchange relationships.•Both communal and exchange relationships ultimately enhance LGBTQ+ employees’ organizational engagement.•The findings highlight the dual role of negative (microaggressions) and positive (microaffirmations) interpersonal experiences in shaping LGBTQ+ employees’ organizational outcomes.