The study found 61 per cent of respondents reported âcoveringâ along at least one axis at work, including 83 per cent of LGBTIQ+ individuals, 79 per cent of African Americans, 67 per cent of women of color, 66 per cent of women, and 63 per cent of Hispanics. The study also found 45 per cent of straight white men â who have not been the focus of most inclusion efforts â reported covering.
Why people feel the need to blend in
âThis need to blend in seems to develop very early on, as we imply it in our first job interview where we look for candidates who have (or at least appear to have) a good company âfitâ,â says Dr Yustantio.
âThis means that the individual coming to an organization will have to adapt to the existing organization â its culture, values and behavior of its people. Like a chameleon, as workers, we are required to change and adapt in the environment we are in to survive in the job, to attain recognition from our boss and get promoted.â
Socialization in the workplace also plays an important role in career promotion and progression, and Dr Yustantio says many aspire to this by attaining some similarity with others in the workplace. âIt can be expected that we want to reach a certain level of similarity with others we work with â particularly important figures like our boss in order to gain their liking and support for favorable performance evaluations,â she says.
âWhen you can assimilate and be seen as part of a group, this assimilation builds trust from other members of the group. It is this âin-group, out-groupâ mentality that forces individuals to see out-group members as different and a threat, and those in-group members who are similar to you as more trustworthy and viewed more favorably.â