Understanding the I in DEI: A comparative study on inclusion perception differences among employees with and without disabilities
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School of Business |
Master's thesis
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Date
2024
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Global Management
Language
en
Pages
63 + 11
Series
Abstract
The heavy focus on gender and ethnicity in discussion on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has led to other diversity characteristics being overlooked. This thesis aims to investigate how the social identity of people with disabilities influences their perceptions of work group inclusion. It further examines the moderating role of leadership and the distinctiveness of the outcomes of the two dimensions of inclusion – belongingness and uniqueness. The literature review provides an overview of different measures of inclusion in the context of workplace and explores optimal distinctiveness theory, social identity complexity, and psychological disengagement theory to ground the research hypotheses. It is hypothesized that employees with disabilities experience significantly lower levels of inclusion than employees without disabilities. Male employees are hypothesized to experience higher levels of inclusion than employees with disabilities identifying as female or other gender identity. Leader-member exchange (LMX) is hypothesized to moderate the relationship between disability status, and its severity, and inclusion. To test the hypotheses, empirical data was gathered via a self reported survey of employees working at a large multinational organization located in Finland. The sample of 980 responses was collected. Independent samples t-test, multiple regression, two-way ANCOVA, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis methods were used for statistical testing. The thesis found support that employees with disabilities experience lower levels of work group inclusion than employees who do not have disabilities. Employees with disabilities were also found to experience lower levels of belongingness and uniqueness suggesting that employees with disabilities are less likely to both feel part of the in-group and feel that their unique contribution and skills are valued at work, compared to their colleagues who do not have disabilities. Although support was not found for all hypotheses, this research significantly contributes to the literature on inclusion, leadership, and disability in workplace context. It also further extends the discussion of the constituent elements of inclusion, namely belongingness and uniqueness. Furthermore, this thesis provides a foundation for future research to explore how social identities shape inclusion perceptions, and to examine the impact of inclusive leadership in fostering more inclusive working environments for employees with disabilities.Description
Thesis advisor
Kautto, DariaKeywords
work group inclusion, disability, leadership, social identity, DEI, LMX