The line between one’s work and at-home selves may be more blurred than employers think. Workers who felt that their communities were inclusive reported greater psychological safety at work, according to a July report on inclusion climate and psychological safety, co-authored by Elon University professor Barjinder Singh.
Singh and researchers used a U.S. based manufacturer as a case study, surveying 151 people who worked there.
The findings from the study were nuanced. Not only did workers report more workplace psychological safety based on their personal feelings of community inclusion, but workers’ responses suggested that community inclusion helps a workplace feel more inclusive — even if it’s perceived as less supportive.
Why should these findings matter for HR professionals? Workers who said they felt more psychologically safe reported a stronger intent to stay with their current employer.
Concurrently, another recent report highlighted the importance of psychological safety at work. In a study on the needs of young workers in the U.K., published by the Chartered Management Institute, workplace experts suggested managers aim to create that kind of workplace environment.
“Managers can help by creating psychological safety — a culture in which individuals and teams feel secure to ask questions, admit mistakes and challenge existing norms, without fear of repercussions,” CMI said in an Aug. 4 analysis.
In the same piece, Priyanka Ayodele, a psychologist and organizational development practitioner for the National Health Service, explained how pouring into one subsection of workers who need psychological safety can benefit the entire workforce.
“There’s a domino effect: psychological safety creates greater staff engagement, improved wellbeing, better retention, safer practice and better customer engagement,” Ayodele said.
Elon’s Singh is using findings from the first study in his courses on organizational behavior and DEI. The goal is to remind business students that “employees’ perceptions regarding organizational culture and inclusion are not confined to the workplace alone but are shaped by larger societal contexts,” Singh said in a statement.