In responding to stigma communication at work, people are often under the influence of environmental constraints that may significantly curtail the availability of different identity management strategies. This dissertation highlights that identity management in workplace settings should be seen as a goal-driven and norm-guided response. I present a conceptual model that opens up the black box of why people choose to accept or challenge stigma communication at work by integrating identity management and stigma literatures with self-regulation literature. Three multi-method studies were crafted. It was found that work environments indeed constrain possible identity management strategies in response to stigma communication. Under the press of self-enhancement goals women were more likely to accept stigma communication, and accepting stigma communication was implicated in higher levels of depletion and strain. Further, women were (a) more likely to choose accepting identity management strategies when stigma was communicated by their supervisors and clients, (b) less likely to challenge when clients communicated stigma, and (c) more likely to use challenge identity management strategies when they had high levels of coping self-efficacy, and also when they were high on promotion focus. Future research questions and practical recommendations are presented to help practitioners harness the value of diversity in organizations.
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