Rahul recently joined his dream company. At first, he was excited, albeit a bit nervous. But now, he doesn’t feel the same. Despite being thankful for the opportunity, he feels out of place. He describes his office as an ant’s tomb, where everyone is pottering about, busy with something that he feels complete outside of. That he doesn’t quite belong.
What Rahul is facing isn’t a singular incident; it happens quite often in workplace settings. But these spaces are not just professional, but actual hubs of human activity. People often spend more time in the workplace than in any other activity except sleeping. These spaces shape people’s self as well as their social perception and evaluation. That’s why it becomes important for workplaces to be active spaces where people can truly belong.
Read More: The Psychology of Workplace Belonging: Driving Engagement & Productivity in Hybrid Workplaces
Understanding Workplace Belonging
“The feeling of being accepted and approved by a group or by society as a whole. Also called belongingness.” —(APA, 2018). It is the feeling of connectedness with others. It influences human cognition, emotions and behaviour (Baumeister and Leary, 1995). Belonging in the context of the workplace is an employee’s feeling that their individual differences are being respected, accepted and even valued by their organisation and colleagues.
Belonging includes the feeling of being safe, secure and putting their unique self to work. “Belonging is the foundation of social identity, where the degree of people’s perceived belonging to groups comprises cognitive, emotional and evaluative elements” (Ashforth and Mael, 1989; Brewer, 2007; Tajfel, 1972).
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The Psychology of Social Belonging and Identity: Theoretical Frameworks
1. Maslow’s need hierarchy theory (Maslow, 1943)
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model places belonging needs and esteem needs on the third and fourth level, indicating their importance and value. People want to feel important and valued by others. This is the reason behind the creation of informal groups in workspaces that serve no practical purposes but are important for the collaborative and smooth functioning of any organisation. Being considered necessary for the running of the workplace gives people a sense of recognition and boosts their self-esteem. This need motivates people in work settings to work harder in order to receive prestige from others.
2. Social Identity theory (Tajfel and Turner, 1979)
This theory explains how people try to define themselves through their memberships in different social groups. Here, social identity means “aspects of an individual’s self-image that derive from the social categories to which (they) perceive (themselves) as belonging.” —Tajfel and Turner, 1979. These identities also shape how a person evaluates themselves. This theory further explains that, along with the association of these identities with valued groups, individuals also engage in social comparisons. In the workplace, certain job titles and departments have a sense of ingroup favouritism and hierarchical ideas that promote harmful divisions.
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How Jobs Form and Affect Social Identity and Inclusion
- Purpose: A person’s job gives them a sense of purpose in life. This purpose further becomes a source of dignity for the individual (Berkman, 2014).
- Self-concept: The roles that people play at their workplace often get integrated into their self-concept. A teacher would advise youngsters even outside of the school. Belonging in jobs shapes people’s identity (Ibarra, 1999).
- Job prestige and personal value: The kind of job that people do or the kind of position that they have gives them an overall evaluation of themselves. Higher position gives them pride, prestige and respect in both workplace and personal life (Ellis et al., 2018).
- Self-presentation: A job offers the person an opportunity to present themselves favourably (Ellemers & Barreto, 2006). It allows people to go beyond ascribed statuses and take up achieved once.
- Belongingness: People perform better when they feel that they belong. A research paper published in Harvard Business Review states that high belonging was linked to a “56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk, and a 75% reduction in sick days. Researchers also found out that for a 10,000-person company, this would result in annual savings of more than $52 million.”
Read More: Psychological Insights for Enhanced Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace
The Cost of Not Belonging
- Isolation: A feeling of lack of support from work peers can result in isolation (Marshall et al., 2007).
- Lack of motivation: A sense of belonging at one’s workplace results in higher motivation for work and better job performance, while its lack causes a sense of detachment. (Dewi et al., 2020)
- Increased turnover rate: When a person feels that they don’t belong at a workplace, it results in a feeling of disconnection and detachment, and they don’t want to be a part of such a place (Al Surahi, 2021).
- On esteem: The sense of not belonging undermines the self-efficacy and self-esteem of a person and negatively impacts their emotional well-being and workplace performance. (Waller, 2020).
Read More: The Psychology of Workplace Loneliness and Its Mental Health Impact
Building a Culture of Belonging
- Safe space: Fostering a space without any form of biases, partiality, or favouritism creates an atmosphere of belonging and justice.
- Inclusion: Actively involving everyone, especially those who seem alone and reserved, makes everyone feel like an important part of the group.
- Transparency: Transparency in the workplace generates trust among the workers, making interactions meaningful.
- Genuineness: Personal connections should be made with individuals in the workplace so that people feel seen, heard and humanised.
- Active involvement: Involving people in decision-making processes not only provides more perspectives but also gives autonomy and generates cohesion.
Read More: Corporate Workplace Burnout in India and What to do about it?
Conclusion
Individuals spend a lot of time in their workplaces. These spaces are not just for making money or a source of livelihood, but also a place where humans gather for common goals. As such, it becomes important for these individuals to relate to each other and form connections. In fact, these connections shape how people see and evaluate themselves and their lives. Several theories, like social identity theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, etc, depict how these belongings are central to a person.
These workplaces play an important role in people’s social identity and inclusion by giving them a space for their roles, to present themselves, prestige, and belongingness. Lack of these results in social isolation, lack of motivation, increased turnover rate and low self-esteem. However, it can be improved through forming a safe, inclusive space, ensuring transparency, genuineness and active involvement in decision making.
FAQs
1. What is workplace belonging?
Belonging in the workplace is the feeling of connection and bonding with the workplace, that one’s ideas and values are recognised, respected and even celebrated.
2. How do jobs affect social identity and inclusion?
Jobs provide people with a sense of purpose, give them the chance to present themselves, recognition, prestige and belongingness.
3. How can workplace belonging be enhanced?
Workplace belonging can be enhanced through forming a safe, inclusive space, ensuring transparency, genuineness and active involvement in decision making.
References +
Sosa, K. (2024, February 23). Maximising employee potential: The business case for workplace belonging. The Diversity Movement. https://thediversitymovement.com/what-is-workplace-belonging-why-is-it-important/
Dhanpat, N., & De Braine, R. T. (2024, September). Exploring work identity and side hustle identity: A theoretical framework [Conference paper, Proceedings of the 17th International Business Conference for 2024]. University of Johannesburg.
(Occupational prestige). In ScienceDirect topics: Social Sciences. Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/occupational-prestige
Employee turnover: Causes, importance and retention strategies. (n.d.). ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352390912_Employee_Turnover_Causes_Importance_and _Retention_Strategies
Berkman L. F. (2014). Commentary: The hidden and not so hidden benefits of work: identity, income and interaction. International journal of epidemiology, 43(5), 1517–1519. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyu110
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