Uncovering The Most Robust Predictors of Belonging in The Workplace [Seed Funding]

Despite the importance of belonging in the workplace, it remains poorly understood what predicts belonging best. One reason is that theories and studies on predictors of belonging are currently dispersed across several areas of research that are embedded within the social psychology literature and the organizational literature. As a result, scholars from different areas of research have typically studied predictors that they deemed as important, while overlooking other potential predictors. For example,  belonging/social exclusion research in social psychology has primarily focused on individual-level predictors, showing that people who have certain personalities and character (e.g., low conscientiousness) tend to be excluded. At the same time,  work on diversity and inclusion in organizational research have instead focused on either group or organizational level factors, showing that people who have certain minority status (e.g., women, ethnic minorities, refugees) tend to feel less included and valued, whereas organizational culture fosters belonging at work
The goal of this project is thus to uncover the most robust predictors of belonging in the workplace by integrating insights from social psychology and organizational studies. First, through a systematic review, we will identify a list of potential predictors, including individual level, group level, and organizational level constructs. Next, we will measure these predictors and belonging at work (the outcome) in a large-scale study. Finally, we will quantify and compare the predictive power of the constructs using advanced statistical tools (e.g., random forest) to assess variable importance while minimizing overfitting.

Team composition

Dr. Dongning Ren strives to identify risk factors of social exclusion and causal pathways to promote diversity and inclusion. Trained as a psychologist, she takes an interdisciplinary approach, making use of theoretical insights, study designs, and statistical tools from other disciplines (e.g., epidemiology, political science) to illuminate her research questions. Her work has been published in top-tier journals including Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Perspectives on Psychological Science, and Psychological Methods. She especially values rigorous and innovative approaches toward building a robust diversity science.
Dr. Hans van Dijk studies diversity and inclusion in a work and organizational context. He is an internationally renowned expert in research on diverse work, and his recent work focuses on how these insights can be used to leverage inclusion. His experience and active engagement with organizations also facilitate the disseminations of the research findings to the public, increasing the potential societal impact of the project.