Abstract
PurposeThis study aims to explore the relationships between recognition, inclusion, and well-being at work. Inclusion involves integrating individuals within a group while recognizing their unique skills and need for belonging. Recognition and inclusion are sources of well-being at work.Design/methodology/approachWe used a qualitative methodology based on a structural approach to investigate the social representations of 1,611 employees of a public organization located in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France.FindingsOur results suggest that recognition is a central mechanism of inclusion, primarily manifested through satisfaction of the individual’s need to belong. We conclude with a proposed heuristic schema of the connections between the constructs studied.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper proposes a new perspective to the work of Shore et al. (2018) by addressing the knowledge gap in the literature concerning the role of recognition in determining an inclusive climate and optimizing well-being at work. This is done using qualitative methodology, drawing on the Dazibao framework of data collection.Originality/valueBringing a new perspective to the work of Shore et al. (2018) by helping to fill the knowledge gap relating to the place of recognition in determining an inclusive climate and well-being at work. It does so through a qualitative methodology based on the Dazibao framework of data collection.