Climate change: An increase in norms for inclusion predicts greater fit and commitment for women in STEM

Abstract

In male-dominated STEM fields, workplace culture is often cited as a factor for women’s attrition. In the present research, we used longitudinal field data to examine how changes in the perceived normative support for gender-inclusive policies and practices over 6 months relate to changes in women’s and men’s experiences of fit and commitment to their organization. Longitudinal analyses of survey data from a sample of 181 engineers revealed that increased perceptions of support for gender-inclusive policies and practices predicted increased organizational commitment only among women, an effect that was mediated by an increase in organizational value fit. Additional analyses suggest that perceptions of change in normative attitudes toward inclusive policies were more predictive of women’s organizational commitment than the awareness that the policies were in place or that one has personally benefitted from them. The implications of an inclusive workplace culture for supporting women’s retention in STEM are discussed.

The Social Drivers of Inclusive Workplaces scale: a preliminary validation of the questionnaire

“…This is in line with previous studies from different sectors showing that employees' positive perceptions of social context shape positive work attitudes, including organisational commitment (Borgogni et al, 2009(Borgogni et al, , 2010(Borgogni et al, , 2023. This is also consistent with the inclusion literature evidencing that the presence of inclusive policies and practices at work promotes employees' psychological attachment to their organisation and feelings that they fit into it (Brimhall et al, 2017;Hall et al, 2022). Thus, employees who perceived that the three main social components behaved inclusively at work were likely to experience that their workplace stimulated positive work events that made them feel at home.…”

“…This is in line with previous studies from different sectors showing that employees' positive perceptions of social context shape positive work attitudes, including organisational commitment (Borgogni et al ., 2009, 2010, 2023). This is also consistent with the inclusion literature evidencing that the presence of inclusive policies and practices at work promotes employees' psychological attachment to their organisation and feelings that they fit into it (Brimhall et al ., 2017; Hall et al. , 2022).…”

Why Antibias Interventions (Need Not) Fail

“…In a study of professional engineers ( Hall et al, 2018 ), women working for companies with more gender-inclusive policies and practices reported having more supportive interactions with their male colleagues, which then predicted lower levels of social-identity threat and workplace burnout. Independent of the policies themselves, others’ perceived support of these policies further predicted women’s (but not men’s) organizational commitment ( Hall et al, 2021 ). Thus, as long as there is broad support for having these policies in place, inclusive policies might shape inclusive social norms.…”

Microinclusions: Treating women as respected work partners increases a sense of fit in technology companies.

“…Such behaviors always occur in the context of broader institutional structures, including varying company policies and structures (Cheryan & Markus, 2020; Colquitt, 2001; W. Hall et al, 2018, 2022). If other structures in a company functionally deny women or others the opportunity to contribute—whether as a consequence of general disorganization, inefficient or biased distribution of work assignments, issues of pay equity, sexist promotion practices, or inadequate family leave policies—even the most inclusive treatment from peers and managers will not matter.…”