Self-disclosure in organizations: Processes and outcomes

Self-disclosure, as the act of sharing personal information with others, has been recognized as a key mechanism for building interpersonal relationships. In organizational settings, self-disclosure is receiving increasing attention for its potential to influence work dynamics, relationships, leadership practices, and career outcomes. This symposium explores the processes and outcomes of self-disclosure in the workplace, focusing on how intentional or unintentional personal revelations about different topics impact work relationships and well-being, leadership perceptions, and career trajectories. Specifically, we will explore the decision-making processes involved in self-disclosure, the potential risks and benefits associated with revealing personal information, and how these disclosures shape perceptions of leaders, followers’ responses, interactions, and well-being at work and career advancement through hiring decisions. The five papers in the symposium include a variety of methods and designs across lab and field settings, in different countries, and regarding different topics of disclosure. Methodologies include systematic review, between and within participants’ experiments, participant eye-tracking, qualitative, and survey-based studies. Self-disclosure topics include fertility treatment and, specifically, IVF disclosure, family and work role-based disclosure, and unintentional disclosure of marital and financial status. Together, the presentations in this symposium advance our understanding of the processes and outcomes of self-disclosure in organizational settings.