Managers Can Support Employees in Working-Class Contexts by Promoting Growth Mindsets

Area of Science:

• Organizational Psychology
• Sociology of Work
• Social Psychology

Background:

• White-collar workplaces are crucial for social mobility but can present belonging challenges for certain groups.
• Class-based belonging gaps exist, particularly for individuals without college degrees.
• Growth mindsets, proven effective in education, offer a potential solution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if growth mindsets can reduce class-based belonging gaps in professional settings.
• To examine the impact of managers' growth mindsets on working-class employees' sense of belonging.
• To explore the mechanisms through which growth mindsets influence belonging and related outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Two preregistered experiments (N = 1,777) tested the effect of managers' growth mindsets on working-class individuals' belonging.
• A preregistered survey (N = 300) of real-world employees corroborated experimental findings.
• Statistical analyses examined the relationship between manager growth mindset, identity threat, belonging, job satisfaction, and commitment.

Main Results:

• Working-class individuals reported a higher sense of belonging when their managers endorsed growth mindsets.
• Managers with growth mindsets reduced perceived identity threat for working-class employees.
• Employee belief in their manager's growth mindset correlated with higher belonging, job satisfaction, and commitment.

Conclusions:

• Endorsing growth mindsets by managers can effectively mitigate class-based belonging gaps in the workplace.
• Growth mindsets foster inclusivity, enhance employee well-being, and improve organizational outcomes.
• These findings offer practical strategies for creating more equitable and supportive professional environments.