Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Abstract
In the workforce, belonging is the degree to which employees feel valued, appreciated, and fit in with the organization's integrated system (Thissen et al., 2023). Mattering, a person's perception of their worth to others and belief that they make a difference (Deas et al., 2023; Jung, 2015), is just as relevant to the workforce despite receiving little attention in career studies. Feelings of mattering allow workers to experience fulfilled well-being, increased motivation, and lowered job-related stress (Bucher et al., 2019). Though research recently began investigating the effect of belonging and mattering on employee outcomes, there's a larger absence of studies examining how mattering in the workplace interacts with dimensions of diversity, such as racial minority or neurodiversity. Fifteen to 20% of the world’s population is neurodiverse and another 33% is part of a racial minority group (Silver et al., 2023; BLS Reports, 2023). Research in these areas is vital for organizational development and social equity. As companies become more diverse, they must consider factors that may affect employee satisfaction. How do racial minority status, neurodiversity, and organizational systems intersect and influence mattering and belonging among employees? This study aims to investigate how characteristics of diversity, neurodiversity, and racial minority status influence employees' sense of belongingness and mattering, and the larger implications of these experiences on well-being and organizational development. We will test four hypotheses with this study: H1: Identifying as a neurodivergent individual predicts decreased levels of belongingness and mattering in the workplace. H2: Identifying as a racial minority predicts decreased levels of belongingness and mattering in the workplace. H3: Neurodiversity and racial minority status will interact to predict decreased levels of belongingness and mattering in the workplace. H4: Workplace mattering and belonging will mediate the relationship between diverse identities and job outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction, productivity, CWB’s, performance). Prolific will be utilized to survey participants and gather their responses. Participation will be restricted to individuals who are 18 years or older, and who have been employed for at least six months at their current employer. The survey will include questions related to self-identified demographics, perceptions of belonging and mattering, and their performance at their current employer. From these findings, we’ll determine how mattering, especially for people in underrepresented groups, affects employee satisfaction, job motivation, and well-being. By examining these relationships, we hope to gain insights into more inclusive workplace practices that enhance both psychological health and organizational performance.
Date
11-9-2024
Subject
Industrial and organizational psychology
Document Type
posters
Language
English
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Included in
“We’re All A Family”: Investigating How Diversity Interacts with Feelings of Mattering, Belonging, Job Satisfaction, and Well-Being
In the workforce, belonging is the degree to which employees feel valued, appreciated, and fit in with the organization's integrated system (Thissen et al., 2023). Mattering, a person's perception of their worth to others and belief that they make a difference (Deas et al., 2023; Jung, 2015), is just as relevant to the workforce despite receiving little attention in career studies. Feelings of mattering allow workers to experience fulfilled well-being, increased motivation, and lowered job-related stress (Bucher et al., 2019). Though research recently began investigating the effect of belonging and mattering on employee outcomes, there's a larger absence of studies examining how mattering in the workplace interacts with dimensions of diversity, such as racial minority or neurodiversity. Fifteen to 20% of the world’s population is neurodiverse and another 33% is part of a racial minority group (Silver et al., 2023; BLS Reports, 2023). Research in these areas is vital for organizational development and social equity. As companies become more diverse, they must consider factors that may affect employee satisfaction. How do racial minority status, neurodiversity, and organizational systems intersect and influence mattering and belonging among employees? This study aims to investigate how characteristics of diversity, neurodiversity, and racial minority status influence employees' sense of belongingness and mattering, and the larger implications of these experiences on well-being and organizational development. We will test four hypotheses with this study: H1: Identifying as a neurodivergent individual predicts decreased levels of belongingness and mattering in the workplace. H2: Identifying as a racial minority predicts decreased levels of belongingness and mattering in the workplace. H3: Neurodiversity and racial minority status will interact to predict decreased levels of belongingness and mattering in the workplace. H4: Workplace mattering and belonging will mediate the relationship between diverse identities and job outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction, productivity, CWB’s, performance). Prolific will be utilized to survey participants and gather their responses. Participation will be restricted to individuals who are 18 years or older, and who have been employed for at least six months at their current employer. The survey will include questions related to self-identified demographics, perceptions of belonging and mattering, and their performance at their current employer. From these findings, we’ll determine how mattering, especially for people in underrepresented groups, affects employee satisfaction, job motivation, and well-being. By examining these relationships, we hope to gain insights into more inclusive workplace practices that enhance both psychological health and organizational performance.
Department
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dept. of Psychology