An examination of prestigious stigma: the case of the technology geek

The concept of stigma from social psychology traditionally pertains to the plight of individuals possessing "marks" such as physical deformities and blindness. In extending the construct to the organizational setting, stigma also encompasses less physical sources of non-normality that are viewed by others with disrespect or disapproval. Along this line, we identify an aspect of stigma that can materialize in work settings that generally does not appear in prior stigma theory. We argue that a stigma may exist that is worn with pride rather than shame, and we refer to this as a "prestigious stigma." As a foundation for our reasoning, we present "technology geek" as a prestigious stigma found in organizations. Our theory building focuses on mixed interactions of the stigmatized with others in the organization, positing that prestigiously stigmatized individuals behave in ways that differ from those previously theorized by social psychologists. This effort culminates in a model that extends prior stigma theory and provides insights for practice and future research.