A social network perspective on workplace inclusion: The role of network closure, network centrality, and need for affiliation

Organizations are increasingly recognizing the important role employee inclusion perceptions play in promoting positive employee attitudes and behaviors. Although social networks are frequently cited as being a driver of perceived inclusion, little empirical work has examined the social network conditions that give rise to it. We address this gap by examining how both network position (indegree centrality) and network structure (network closure) relate to perceived workplace inclusion. We test our hypotheses with a sample of 364 professionals in a multinational pharmaceutical firm. We find that both indegree centrality and network closure are positively related to perceived workplace inclusion. The relationship between network centrality and perceived workplace inclusion is strengthened by a high level of network closure. In addition, the relationship between network closure and perceived workplace inclusion is strengthened by a high level of need for affiliation. Our results, therefore, suggest that both network centrality and closure play an important role in employee perceptions of inclusion and demonstrate the importance of considering need for affiliation as a boundary condition. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for theory and practice.