The organizational inclusion turn and its exclusion of low-wage labor

Abstract

As most scholarly work on the conceptualization of organizational inclusion seems to be implicitly based on contexts of high-wage labor, this article investigates whether the common themes of organizational inclusion as identified by Shore et al. (2018) also align with the low-wage labor context. Our respective analysis identifies several mismatches between the current conceptualizations of organizational inclusion and the needs and interests of low-wage workers. Consequently, we offer suggestions for adapting these conceptualizations: by paying attention to (1) material and physical safety next to psychological safety, (2) opportunities of non-task-oriented involvement in the workgroup and (3) the recognition and accommodation of low-wage workers’ voices and needs. Furthermore, we argue to extend the scope of scholarly work on organizational inclusion by taking into account the broader (historical) social order and different stakeholders who influence the organizational processes of inclusion and exclusion. By engaging with the current “inclusion turn” and providing adaptations, this article contributes to a less “exclusive” conception of organizational inclusion as well as outlines where the organizational inclusion approach might come up against its own limits.

Integrative Resource Model of Workplace Inclusion for Reduced Inequality: Conservation of Resources Perspective

“…Bowie, 2017). The recently proposed stakeholder governance perspective (Amis et al, 2020b), economic value creation by stakeholders (Bapuji et al, 2018), economic-social-economic cycle of inclusion (Fujimoto & Uddin, 2021), and inclusion concepts for lowwage workers (van Eck et al, 2021) encourage corporate leaders and other stakeholders to prioritize the interests of most exploited stakeholders in order to meet their economic needs. The key stakeholders prioritizing fair employment practices at low-wage workplaces may reverse the hierarchical discriminatory trends within the workforce, which are particularly imposed on female workers in the patriarchal society (cf.…”

“…The past study also reported the managerial approach to addressing the individual needs of operative workers as being a key dimension of non-rank sensitive inclusion, breaking the norm of exploitation and simultaneously building symbolic and emotional connections among the workers (Holck, 2017;Janssens & Zanoni, 2008). The recent research has also verified the importance of non-task oriented involvement for building social relationships for greater inclusion of the low-wage workers in workplaces (van Eck et al 2021). Thus, we predicted that managerial consideration as social resources for the workers would stir a non-rank sensitive inclusion, which would, in turn, enhance workers' psychological well-being.…”

“…Although low-income employees are often regarded as low-status and disposable labor with restricted employment opportunities (Collinson, 2003;Grossman-Thompson, 2018), a previous study reported that managerially initiated reforms of employment practices (e.g., offering above-minimum-wage jobs, adequate pay to cover basic necessities, child care support, housing subsidies, or job training) were identified as successful initiatives that fostered the economic security of the working poor (Kossek et al, 1997). The recent research has also verified the importance of material safety (e.g., payment security) as part of workplace inclusion initiatives for low-wage workers (van Eck et al 2021). We contend that the perception of economic or material resource gain as a result of fair employment practices may produce a critical condition for workers to reverse their perceptions of status bias treatment and shape their perceptions of inclusion in the workplace.…”

“…The recent review of research on low-wage employees has reported the importance of managerial consideration to meet their specific needs to address their marginalized voices (van Eck et al 2021). In the Covid-19 study, factory owners/ managers showed indifference about their well-being while workers tolerated devasting work and employment practices to keep their job in order to survive (Alamgir et al, 2021).…”

“…Prior inclusion studies have mainly solicited data from HR professionals, skilled employees, and managers in relation to employees' sociopsychological processes and outcomes in the context of workplace diversity, largely overlooking processes necessary for unskilled, underresourced employees as part of workplace diversity research (with the exceptions of Fujimoto et al, 2019;Janssens & Zanoni, 2008;van Eck et al, 2021). Similar to previous workplace inclusion research, COR research in employment contexts has been limited to a primary focus on the mainstream work context in the Global North settings-such as people experiencing psychological contract breaches, layoffs, job burnout, and depression in professional work-to discover employees' recovery processes (see Hobföll et al, 2018).…”