We present a theoretical framework describing the experiences and \nabilities of social class transitioners – those who have moved from one \nsocial class to another during their lives – in organizations. Evidence \nsuggests many people transition from one social class to another over \ntheir lifetimes, and we do not have a framework for understanding how \ntransitioners experience the workplace or affect their organizations. \nThis omission is consequential because social class is a permeable and \nintersectional form of diversity, and those who have transitioned \nbetween social classes might accumulate cultural tools from different \nclass contexts, making them particularly well-suited to understanding \nand bridging class-based cultural differences within groups. We argue \nthat the range of one’s cultural understanding depends on the class \ndistance one has travelled, the time spent in each class position, and \nthe direction of the transition. We then articulate strategies that \ntransitioners can use to deploy their cultural skills, the factors \ninfluencing which strategies they select, and how each strategy involves\n tradeoffs between individual and group outcomes. We conclude by \ndiscussing the contributions of this work to the literatures on social \nclass and diversity, culture, and groups and teams, and suggesting \nfuture research directions.
Published Paper, 2022
Academy of Management Review 44(3)
Page(s): 618-642
Abstract