Holland's theory: Its relevance for lesbian women and gay men

This article will examine the relevance of Holland's theory for lesbian women and gay men. Holland's focus on individual personality type, work environment type, and the congruence between these types will be discussed and related to Cass's (1979) model of lesbian and gay identity development. In addition, Holland's central ideas and their related working assumptions and background principles will be discussed as related to the workplace environment's attitudes toward lesbians and gays. It is suggested that both Holland's ''congruence'' and Cass's ''interpersonal congruency'' need to be considered in assisting lesbian and gay career clients. Finally, seven research hypotheses have been generated to encourage empirical contributions to the growing knowledge base on lesbian and gay career choice and development. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.