Barriers to Inclusion: Identifying Factors Affecting the Sense of Belonging among Firefighters in Argao, Cebu

Workplace inclusion has become a central concern in organizational research because employees do not thrive on diversity alone; they also need to feel respected, heard, and able to participate meaningfully in organizational life. Recent reviews describe inclusion as a workplace experience shaped by fairness, belongingness, participation, and the ability to contribute without fear of marginalization (Nguyen et al., 2024). Qualitative evidence also shows that inclusion is influenced by organizational, employer, interpersonal, and societal conditions, with attitudinal barriers at the organizational level among the most commonly reported obstacles (Rezai et al., 2023). In addition, newer multilevel research suggests that an inclusive psychological climate, leader inclusion, and workgroup inclusion are associated with stronger trust in the organization and deeper organizational identification (Chung et al., 2024). Taken together, these studies suggest that inclusion is not merely a symbolic organizational value but a condition that can shape employee well-being, connection, and effectiveness.

N/A

1. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Chung, B. G., Shore, L., Wiegand, J. P., & Xu, J. (2024). The effects of inclusive psychological climate, leader inclusion, and workgroup inclusion on trust and organizational identification. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 44(7), 924-945. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-08-2023-0278 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Geczik, A. M., Lee, J., Allen, J. A., Raposa, M. E., Robinson, L. F., Quistberg, D. A., Davis, A. L., & Taylor, J. A. (2024). An updated analysis of safety climate and downstream outcomes in two convenience samples of U.S. fire departments (FOCUS 1.0 and 2.0 survey waves). Injury Epidemiology, 11, Article 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-024-00502-8 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Gregory, K. B., Mielke, J. G., & Neiterman, E. (2025). Improving spaces for women first responders: A grounded theory on gender equity. PLOS ONE, 20(9), e0330849. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330849 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59-82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Nguyen, L. A., Evan, R., Chaudhuri, S., Hagen, M., & Williams, D. (2024). Inclusion in the workplace: An integrative literature review. European Journal of Training and Development, 48(3/4), 334-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-10-2022-0104 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Rezai, M., Lindsay, S., Ahmed, H., & Vijayakumar, A. (2023). Workplace inclusion: A scoping review of the qualitative literature. WORK, 75(1), 59-73. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-211343 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• A Comparative Study of Adjustment Level, Parental Income and Academic Achievement of Adolescent Girls
• Increase in STIs among Adolescents in Masvingo District
• A Correlation between SDG 4 (Quality Education) and Emotional Disposition of Teacher Educators in Hyderabad District
• Ear Piercing Behaviour and Self-Esteem among Male University Students in Nigeria
• A Study of Religiosity and Psychological Well-Being