"From Diversity to Belonging": Exploring the interplay between diversity, perceived mattering, belonging, work outcomes, and well-being

"From Diversity to Belonging": Exploring the Interplay Between Diversity, Perceived Mattering, Belonging, Work Outcomes, and Well-Being Hannah Wallace, Brody Behm, Bella Watkins, Leila Young, Jess Doll, Kristl Davison, Tim Huelsman Appalachian State University ABSTRACT In the workforce, belonging is the degree to which employees feel valued, appreciated, and fit in with the organization's integrated system (Thissen et al., 2023). Mattering, a person's perception of their worth to others and belief that they make a difference (Deas et al., 2023; Jung, 2015), is just as relevant to the workforce despite receiving little attention in career studies. Feelings of mattering allow workers to experience fulfilled well-being, increased motivation, and lowered job-related stress (Bucher et al., 2019). Though research recently began investigating the effect of belonging and mattering on employee outcomes, there's a larger absence of studies examining how mattering in the workplace interacts with dimensions of diversity, such as gender or neurodiversity. America currently faces unemployment rates as high as 30 – 40% for neurodiverse adults, and among people with a disability, the unemployment rates were the same for men and women in 2024 (7.5 percent) (Creative Spirit 2024: BLS 2025). This demonstrates how vital this research is for organizational development and social equity in the workplace. How do gender identity, neurodiversity, and organizational systems intersect and influence mattering and belonging among employees? This study aims to investigate how characteristics of diversity, neurodiversity, and gender identities influence employees' sense of belongingness and mattering, and the larger implications of these experiences on well-being and organizational development. We will test four hypotheses with this study: H1: Identifying as a neurodivergent individual predicts decreased levels of belongingness and mattering in the workplace. H2: Identifying as a woman or non-binary in the workplace predicts decreased levels of belongingness and mattering. H3: Neurodiversity and gender will interact to predict decreased levels of belongingness and mattering in the workplace. H4: Workplace mattering and belonging will mediate the relationship between diverse gender identities and job outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction, productivity, and performance). Prolific will be utilized to survey participants and gather their responses. Participation will be restricted to individuals who are 18 years or older and who have been employed for at least six months at their current employer. The survey will include questions related to self-identified demographics, perceptions of belonging and mattering, and their performance at their current employer. From these findings, we’ll determine how mattering, especially for people in underrepresented groups, affects employee satisfaction, job motivation, and well-being. By examining these relationships, we hope to gain insights into more inclusive workplace practices that enhance both psychological health and organizational performance.