Harnessing the potential of neurodiversity: inclusive leadership and high-quality relationships as drivers of organizational commitment and support

Purpose This study examines how inclusive leadership behaviors impact organizational commitment and perceived organizational support among neurodivergent employees. Specifically, it explores the mediating role of feelings of inclusion and investigates leader-member exchange (LMX) as a moderator that potentially enhances the effectiveness of inclusive leadership practices. Design/methodology/approach Using a three-wave survey design, data were collected from 311 neurodivergent employees employed across four different organizational sectors (telecommunications, banking, education, healthcare) in the United Arab Emirates Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to evaluate the direct, indirect, and moderated relationships proposed in the model. Supplementary regression analyses, including mediation and moderation tests using the PROCESS macro, further validated the robustness of the findings. Findings Results indicate that inclusive leadership significantly predicts higher organizational commitment and increased perceived organizational support among neurodivergent employees. The relationship between inclusive leadership and these positive outcomes is mediated by employees' feelings of inclusion. Furthermore, high-quality leader-member exchanges (LMX) significantly moderate the relationship between inclusive leadership behaviors and feelings of inclusion, highlighting that inclusive leadership is particularly effective when complemented by strong interpersonal leader-member relationships. Practical implications Organizations should prioritize inclusive leadership training that emphasizes authentic appreciation and accommodation of cognitive diversity. In addition, organizations are encouraged to actively foster strong leader-member relationships through structured mentoring programs and regular communication to enhance the effectiveness of inclusivity initiatives. Originality/value This research enriches the inclusive leadership literature by empirically demonstrating its unique effectiveness within neurodivergent employee populations, while highlighting the critical moderating role of leader-member exchange relationships. This offers novel insights into how relational dynamics can significantly influence inclusion outcomes.