Identity Management Strategies Scale

Abstract

The Identity Management Strategies Scale (IMSS) is a specialized psychometric instrument designed to systematically measure the diverse ways in which lesbian and gay employees navigate and negotiate their sexual identity within the professional work environment. Developed by S. B. Button, the scale posits that identity management is not monolithic but is expressed through three empirically distinct dimensions: Counterfeiting (active deception), Avoiding (passive concealment), and Integrating (open disclosure). The IMSS serves as a vital tool for researchers and practitioners in organizational psychology, allowing for the quantification of the psychological and behavioral efforts sexual minorities employ to cope with potentially heterosexist organizational environments.

By quantifying these strategies, the IMSS facilitates a deeper understanding of the relationship between organizational climate, identity negotiation behaviors, and subsequent outcomes related to employee well-being, job satisfaction, and performance. Its application is crucial for assessing the efficacy of diversity initiatives and organizational policies aimed at fostering inclusive workplaces.

Keywords

Identity management, sexual identity, workplace diversity, lesbian and gay employees, disclosure, concealment, stigma management, organizational psychology, identity management strategies, sexual minorities, organizational behavior.

Authors

Button, S. B. (Primary Developer), Lipka, Phillip.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Identity Management Strategies Scale is to provide a standardized, quantitative measure of the specific behavioral and cognitive strategies employed by lesbian and gay employees when managing their sexual orientation visibility at work. The scale moves beyond simple disclosure/non-disclosure dichotomies by segmenting identity negotiation into three distinct, measurable factors.

This detailed segmentation allows for a nuanced assessment of how individuals respond to pressures arising from organizational environments, particularly those characterized by workplace heterosexism. Researchers utilize the IMSS scores to correlate management strategies with critical organizational variables, thereby evaluating the impact of organizational policies on the mental health and professional engagement of sexual minority employees.

Construct

The IMSS measures the overarching psychological construct of identity management, specifically applied to sexual orientation within a professional context. This construct encompasses the conscious and unconscious efforts an individual makes to control how their identity is perceived by others, often in response to perceived stigma or discrimination.

The identity management construct is operationalized through three distinct and empirically validated sub-scales, each representing a primary behavioral cluster:

• Counterfeiting: This represents an active, deceptive strategy where the individual attempts to “pass” as heterosexual. Behaviors involve fabricating details about one’s life, such as discussing fictional opposite-sex dates, or actively modifying behavior to conform to presumed heterosexual norms.
• Avoiding: This is a passive strategy characterized by non-disclosure and withdrawal. Individuals employing this strategy maintain privacy by evading personal discussions, avoiding social events, and refraining from sharing details about their personal relationships, thus preventing the need for disclosure.
• Integrating: This strategy involves openness, transparency, and full disclosure of one’s sexual identity. It includes proactive behaviors such as openly discussing one’s homosexuality, displaying symbols of identity, and actively confronting homophobic remarks or discriminatory practices.

Validity

The IMSS demonstrates strong evidence of construct validity, initially established through the foundational work of Button (1996, 2001, 2004). This validity is supported by the empirical distinctiveness of the three proposed factors (Counterfeiting, Avoiding, and Integrating), confirming that they measure unique facets of identity negotiation.

Further validation is derived from the scale’s subsequent use in related studies, such as those examining individual differences in response to organizational climate. The items themselves are grounded in real-world behaviors and cognitive choices related to identity negotiation, providing the instrument with robust face validity within the domain of organizational behavior and stigma management research.

Reliability

The internal consistency reliability of the IMSS is generally high to acceptable across all sub-scales, as measured by Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients. These values demonstrate that the items within each sub-scale are cohesively measuring the intended underlying identity management strategy.

• Integrating: Alpha = 0.89 (Indicating excellent internal consistency reliability)
• Avoiding: Alpha = 0.86 (Indicating good internal consistency reliability)
• Counterfeiting: Alpha = 0.76 (Indicating acceptable internal consistency reliability)

Factor Analysis

The Identity Management Strategies Scale is theoretically and empirically structured around a three-factor model, corresponding directly to the Counterfeiting, Avoiding, and Integrating strategies. The validation process, documented primarily in Button’s doctoral dissertation and subsequent peer-reviewed articles, utilized both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.

These analyses consistently confirmed that the three factors are statistically distinct and account for significant variance in identity management behaviors among the target population. This robust factor structure supports the theoretical premise that identity management is a multi-dimensional construct involving separate, yet potentially co-occurring, behavioral choices rather than a single linear continuum.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychometric scale

Format: 23 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale.

Language Available: English (Original development language).

Population Group: Sexual minorities (specifically lesbian and gay individuals).

Age Group: Adult employees (working population).

Population Details: Individuals employed in organizational settings who identify as lesbian or gay.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement with statements describing their behavior in the workplace. The scoring key is based on a seven-point scale: 1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3= slightly disagree, 4= uncertain, 5= slightly agree, 6=agree, 7= strongly agree.

Keywords

Workplace identity, disclosure strategies, gay and lesbian studies, organizational behavior, concealment of sexual orientation, psychological measurement, organizational climate, stigma.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence generally directed toward S. B. Button (The Pennsylvania State University, circa 1996).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Identity Management Strategies Scale was initially developed and introduced in 1996 as part of the doctoral dissertation requirements of S. B. Button. Subsequent peer-reviewed publications detailing the scale’s properties appeared in 2001 and 2004.

Researchers interested in utilizing the instrument should consult the primary author or the institutional repository for specific usage permissions and any applicable licensing fees. The instrument itself, including the full item list and methodology, is contained within the original doctoral dissertation.

The original PDF of the dissertation containing the instrument can be downloaded here: http://tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1539&context=all_dissertations

Reference’s

• Button, S. B. (1996). Organizational efforts to affirm sexual diversity: A multi-level examination. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University.
• Button, S. B. (2001). Organizational efforts to affirm sexual diversity: A cross-level examination. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 17–28.
• Button, S. B. (2004). Identity management strategies utilized by lesbian and gay employees: A quantitative investigation. Group & Organization Management, 29, 470–494.
• Lipka, Phillip, “Sexual Minorities in the Workplace: An Examination of Individual Differences That Affect Responses to Workplace Heterosexism” (2010). All Dissertations. Paper 539.

Items of the Identity Management Strategies Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Counterfeiting Items:

1. To appear heterosexual‚ I sometimes talk about fictional dates with members of the opposite sex.
2. I sometimes talk about opposite-sex relationships in my past‚ while I avoid mentioning more recent same-sex relationships.
3. I sometimes comment on‚ or display interest in‚ members of the opposite sex to give the impression that I am straight.
4. I have adjusted my level of participation in sports to appear heterosexual.
5. I make sure that I don’t behave the way people expect gays or lesbians to behave.
6. I sometimes laugh at “fag” or “dyke” jokes to fit in with my straight co-workers.

Avoiding Items:

7. I avoid co-workers who frequently discuss sexual matters.
8. I avoid situations (e.g.‚ long lunches‚ parties) where heterosexual co-workers are likely to ask me personal questions.
9. I let people know that I find personal questions to be inappropriate so that I am not faced with them.
10. I avoid personal questions by never asking others about their personal lives.
11. In order to keep my personal life private‚ I refrain from “mixing business with pleasure.”
12. I withdraw from conversations when the topic turns to things like dating or interpersonal relationships.
13. I let people think I am a “loner” so that they won’t questions my apparent lack of a relationship.

Integrating Items:

14. In my daily activities‚ I am open about my homosexuality whenever it comes up.
15. Most of my co-workers know that I am gay/lesbian.
16. Whenever I’m asked about being gay/lesbian‚ I always answer in an honest and matter-of-fact way.
17. It’s okay for my gay and lesbian friends to call me at work.
18. My co-workers know of my interest in gay and lesbian issues.
19. I look for opportunities to tell my co-workers that I am gay/lesbian.
20. When a policy or law is discriminatory against gay men and lesbians‚ I tell people what I think.
21. I let me co-workers know that I’m proud to be gay/lesbian.
22. I openly confront others when I hear a homophobic remark or joke.
23. I display objects (e.g.‚ photographs‚ magazines‚ symbols) which suggest that I am gay/lesbian.