Central European Business Review 2024, 13(4):1-19 | DOI: 10.18267/j.cebr.363

Exploring Inclusion in the Remote Startup Landscape: A Case Study Analysis

Jolanta Maj ORCID...1, Aneta Hamza-Orlinska ORCID...2
1 Wroc³aw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Management, Department of Management Systems and Organizational Development, Wroclaw, Poland, jolanta.maj@pwr.edu.pl (corresponding author)
2 Department of HR & Organization, EM Normandie Business School, Métis lab, Dublin, Ireland, ahamza-orlinska@em-normandie.fr

The focus of the paper and the main objective of the research is to scrutinize the adaptability of an inclusion model tailored for conventional workspaces to the context of startups employing remote freelance teams across different locations, probing whether this model holds relevance in more flexible work arrangements. The paper is based on a qualitative analysis of empirical material collected in a case study. The case study was conducted in a virtual marketing startup registered in Ireland composed of 14 employees, including 12 freelancers and 2 full-time employees working remotely from the UK, Ireland, France, Croatia, Romania, Belgium and Ukraine. We found that the degree of organizational inclusion is determined by employee empowerment orientation. The study shows the positive effect of inclusion practices and processes on perceived inclusion, talent retention and inclusive climate as well as organizational and individual performance. The paper contributes to the ongoing scientific debate by presenting how an inclusive workplace might be achieved in a geographically distributed, virtual startup organization. Furthermore, as Central European startups aim to expand globally, our insights into inclusion in geographically dispersed teams can be especially relevant. It provides guidance on how to maintain an inclusive culture when working with remote teams across different countries.
Implications for Central European audience: In the Central European business landscape, especially in geographically dispersed startups, adapting inclusion models to virtual settings is essential. Given the region's diverse cultures and historical contexts, understanding communication dynamics and fostering authenticity and psychological safety are crucial. Prioritizing these aspects aligns with Central European values of collaboration and innovation, enhancing employee well-being and positioning businesses for sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

Keywords: inclusion; inclusive organization; startup; virtual organization; diversity; geographically distributed teams
JEL classification: M13, M14

Received: October 3, 2023; Revised: January 5, 2024; Accepted: January 31, 2024; Prepublished online: May 12, 2024; Published: September 30, 2024  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Maj, J., & Hamza-Orlinska, A. (2024). Exploring Inclusion in the Remote Startup Landscape: A Case Study Analysis. Central European Business Review, 13(4), 1-19. doi: 10.18267/j.cebr.363
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Alkan, P. D., Özbilgin, M. & Kamasak, R. (2022). Social innovation in managing diversity: COVID-19 as a catalyst for change. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 41(5), 709-725. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-07-2021-0171. Go to original source...
    2. Alsharo, M., Gregg, D., & Ramirez, R. (2017). Virtual team effectiveness: The role of knowledge sharing and trust. Information & Management, 54(4), 479-490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2016.10.005. Go to original source...
    3. Antonacopoulou, E. P., & Georgiadou, A. (2021). Leading through social distancing: The future of work, corporations and leadership from home. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(2), 749-767. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12533. Go to original source...
    4. Bloom, N., Liang, J., Roberts, J., & Ying, Z. J. (2015). Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 130(1), 165-218. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qju032. Go to original source...
    5. Branicki, L. J. (2020). COVID-19, ethics of care and feminist crisis management. Gender, Work & Organization, 27(5), 872-883. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12491. Go to original source...
    6. Breuer, C., Huffmeier, J., & Hertel, G. (2020). Trust in teams: A taxonomy of perceived trustworthiness factors and risk-taking behaviors in face-to-face and virtual teams'. Human Relations, 73(1), 3-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726718818721. Go to original source...
    7. Breuer, C., Hüffmeier, J., & Hertel, G. (2016). Does trust matter more in virtual teams? A meta-analysis of trust and team effectiveness considering virtuality and documentation as moderators. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(8), 1151-1177. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000113. Go to original source...
    8. Burleson, S. D., Eggler, K. D., & Major, D. A. (2022). A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Perspective on Organizational Socialization in the New Age of Remote Work. In Multidisciplinary Approach to Diversity and Inclusion in the COVID-19-Era Workplace (pp. 15-34). IGI Global. Go to original source...
    9. Chanlat, J. F., & Özbilgin, M. F. (2017). Introduction. In J. F. Chanlat and M. F. Özbligin (Eds.), International Perspectives on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (pp. 1-15). Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited. Go to original source...
    10. Charalampous, M. Grant, C. A., Tramontano, C., & Michailidis, E. (2019). Systematically reviewing remote e-workers' well-being at work: a multidimensional approach. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28(1), 51-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2018.1541886. Go to original source...
    11. Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing Grounded Theory: a Practical Guide through Qualitative Analysis. Sage.
    12. Cho, S., & Mor Barak, M. E. (2008). Understanding of Diversity and Inclusion in a Perceived Homogeneous Culture: A Study of Organizational Commitment and Job Performance Among Korean Employees. Administration in Social Work, 32(4), 100-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/03643100802293865. Go to original source...
    13. Combs, G. M., Milosevic, I., & Bilimoria, D. (2019). Introduction to the Special Topic Forum: Critical Discourse: Envisioning the Place and Future of Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 26(3), 277-286. https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051819857739. Go to original source...
    14. Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publishing.
    15. Cramton, C. D., & Webber, S. S. (2005). Relationships among geographic dispersion, team processes, and effectiveness in software development work teams. Journal of Business Research, 58(6), 758-765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2003.10.006. Go to original source...
    16. Ferdman, B. M., & Davidson, M. N. (2002). Inclusion and Power: Reflections on Dominance and Subordination in Organizations. The Industrial Organizational Psychologist, 39(3), 43-45.
    17. Ferdman, B. M. (2014). The practice of inclusion in diverse organizations: Toward a systemic and inclusive framework. In B. M. Ferdman & B. R. Deane (Eds.), Diversity at work: The practice of inclusion (pp. 3-54). Jossey-Bass/Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118764282.ch1. Go to original source...
    18. Ferdman, B. M. (2010). Teaching inclusion by example and experience: Creating an inclusive learning environment. Leading Across Differences, 37-50.
    19. Fitzsimmons, S., Özbilgin, M. F., Thomas, D. C., & Nkomo, S. (2023). Equality, diversity, and inclusion in international business: A review and research agenda. Journal of International Business Studies, 54(8), 1402-1422. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-023-00642-x. Go to original source...
    20. Gajendran, R. S., & Joshi, A. (2011, January). Inclusion and identification in virtual workgroups: (When) does leader-member virtual communication matter?. In 71st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management-West Meets East: Enlightening, Balancing, Transcending, AOM 2011. Go to original source...
    21. Gasorek, D. (2000). Inclusion at Dun & Bradstreet: Building a high-performing company. The Diversity Factor, 8(4), 25-29.
    22. Gilson, L. L., Maynard, M. T., Young, N. C. J., Vartiainen, M., & Hakonen, M. (2015). Virtual Teams Research: 10 Years, 10 Themes, and 10 Opportunities. Journal of Management, 41(5), 1313-1337. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314559946. Go to original source...
    23. Golden, T. D., Veiga, J. F., & Dino, R. N. (2008). The impact of professional isolation on teleworker job performance and turnover intentions: Does time spent teleworking, interacting face-to-face, or having access to communication-enhancing technology matter?. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1412-1421. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012722. Go to original source...
    24. Herz, M., & Rauschnabel, P. A. (2019). Understanding the diffusion of virtual reality glasses: The role of media, fashion and technology. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 138, 228-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.09.008. Go to original source...
    25. Hung, S. W., Cheng, M. J., Hou, C. E., & Chen, N. R. (2021). Inclusion in global virtual teams: Exploring non-spatial proximity and knowledge sharing on innovation. Journal of Business Research, 128, 599-610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.11.022. Go to original source...
    26. Jarvenpaa, S. L., & Välikangas, L. (2020). Advanced Technology and End-Time in Organizations: A Doomsday for Collaborative Creativity?. Academy of Management Perspectives, 34(4), 566-584. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2019.0040. Go to original source...
    27. Kammeyer-Mueller, J., Wanberg, C., Rubenstein, A., & Song, Z. L. (2013). Support, Undermining, and Newcomer Socialization: Fitting in During the First 90 Days. Academy of Management Journal, 56(4), 1104-1124. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0791. Go to original source...
    28. Kearney, E., & Gebert, D. (2009). Managing diversity and enhancing team outcomes: The promise of transformational leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(1), 77-89. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013077. Go to original source...
    29. Kurmann, A., Keller, S., Tschan-Semmer, F., Seelandt, J., Semmer, N. K., Candinas, D., & Beldi, G. (2014). Impact of Team Familiarity in the Operating Room on Surgical Complications. World Journal of Surgery, 38(12), 3047-3052. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-014-2680-2. Go to original source...
    30. Majchrzak, A., Malhotra, A., Stamps, J., & Lipnack, J. (2004). Can absence make a team grow stronger. Harvard Business Review Publishing, 82(5), 1-8.
    31. Mor Barak, M. E. (2015). Inclusion is the Key to Diversity Management, but What is Inclusion?. Human Service Organizations Management, Leadership & Governance, 39(2), 83-88. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2015.1035599. Go to original source...
    32. Mor Barak, M. E., Lizano, E. L., Kim, A., Duan, L., Rhee, M. K., Hsiao, H. Y., & Brimhall, K. C. (2016). The Promise of Diversity Management for Climate of Inclusion: A State-of-the-Art Review and Meta-Analysis. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 40(4), 305-333. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2016.1138915. Go to original source...
    33. Mor-Barak, M. E., & Cherin, D. A. (1998). A Tool to Expand Organizational Understanding of Workforce Diversity: Exploring a Measure of Inclusion-Exclusion. Administration in Social Work, 22(1), 47-64. https://doi.org/10.1300/J147v22n01_04. Go to original source...
    34. Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. C. (2006). Making it safe: the effects of leader inclusiveness and professional status on psychological safety and improvement efforts in health care teams'. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(7), 941-966. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.413. Go to original source...
    35. Nishii, L. H. (2013). The Benefits of Climate for Inclusion for Gender-Diverse Groups. Academy of Management Journal, 56(6), 1754-1774. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2009.0823. Go to original source...
    36. Nishii, L. H., & Rich, R. E. (2013) Creating Inclusive Climates in Diverse Organizations. In B. M. Ferdman & B. R. Deane (Eds), Diversity at Work: The Practice of Inclusion. 1st ed. (pp. 330-363). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118764282.ch11. Go to original source...
    37. Nyberg, A. J., Shaw, J. D., & Zhu, J. (2021). The People Still Make the (Remote Work-) Place: Lessons from a Pandemic. Journal of Management, 47(8), 1967-1976. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063211023563. Go to original source...
    38. Paul, D. L. (2006). Collaborative Activities in Virtual Settings: A Knowledge Management Perspective of Telemedicine. Journal of Management Information Systems, 22(4), 143-176. https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222220406. Go to original source...
    39. Pelled, L., Ledford, Jr, G. E., & Albers Mohrman, S. (1999). Demographic Dissimilarity and Workplace Inclusion. Journal of Management Studies, 36(7), 1013-1031. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6486.00168. Go to original source...
    40. Pless, N., & Maak, T. (2004). Building an Inclusive Diversity Culture: Principles, Processes and Practice. Journal of Business Ethics, 54(2), 129-147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-004-9465-8. Go to original source...
    41. Polzer, J. T., Crisp, C. B., Jarvenpaa, S. L., & Kim, J. W. (2006). Extending the Faultline Model to Geographically Dispersed Teams: How Colocated Subgroups can Impair Group Functioning. Academy of Management Journal, 49(4), 679-692. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2006.22083024. Go to original source...
    42. Qiu, F., & Dauth, T. (2022). Virtual work intensity, job satisfaction, and the mediating role of work-family balance: A study of employees in Germany and China. German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift für Personalforschung, 36(1), 77-111. https://doi.org/10.1177/2397002221998227. Go to original source...
    43. Raghuram, S., Garud, R., Wiesenfeld, B., & Gupta, V. (2001). Factors contributing to virtual work adjustment. Journal of Management, 27(3), 383-405. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920630102700309. Go to original source...
    44. Roberson, Q. M., (2006). Disentangling the Meanings of Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations. Group & Organization Management, 31(2), 212-236. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601104273064. Go to original source...
    45. Sabharwal, M. (2014). Is Diversity Management Sufficient? Organizational Inclusion to Further Performance. Public Personnel Management, 43(2), 197-217. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026014522202. Go to original source...
    46. Schmidt, J. B., Montoya-Weiss, M. M., & Massey, A. P. (2001). New Product Development Decision-Making Effectiveness: Comparing Individuals, Face-To-Face Teams, and Virtual Teams. Decision Sciences, 32(4), 575-600. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5915.2001.tb00973.x. Go to original source...
    47. Scully-Russ, E., & Torraco, R. (2020). The Changing Nature and Organization of Work: An Integrative Review of the Literature. Human Resource Development Review, 19(1), 66-93. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484319886394. Go to original source...
    48. Shore, L. M., & Chung, B. G. (2022). Inclusive Leadership: How Leaders Sustain or Discourage Work Group Inclusion. Group & Organization Management, 47(4), 723-754. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601121999580. Go to original source...
    49. Shore, L. M., Randel, A. E., Chung, B. G., Dean, M. A., Holcombe Ehrhart, K., & Singh, G. (2011). Inclusion and diversity in work groups: A review and model for future research. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1262-1289. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310385943. Go to original source...
    50. Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N., & Sanchez, D. (2018). Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), 176-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.07.003. Go to original source...
    51. Staples, D.S. & Zhao, L. (2006).The Effects of Cultural Diversity in Virtual Teams Versus Face-to-Face Teams. Group Decision and Negotiation, 15(4), 389-406. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-006-9042-x. Go to original source...
    52. Syed, J., & Özbilgin, M. (2019). Managing Diversity and Inclusion: An International Perspective. Sage.
    53. Wolfgruber, D., Stürmer, L., & Einwiller, S. (2021). Talking inclusion into being: communication as a facilitator and obstructor of an inclusive work environment. Personnel Review, 51(7), 1841-1860. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-01-2021-0013. Go to original source...
    54. van Knippenberg, D., De Dreu, C. K. W., & Homan, A. C. (2004). Work Group Diversity and Group Performance: An Integrative Model and Research Agenda. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(6), 1008-1022. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.89.6.1008. Go to original source...
    55. Verburg, R. M., Bosch-Sijtsema, P., & Vartiainen, M. (2013). Getting it done: Critical success factors for project managers in virtual work settings. International Journal of Project Management, 31(1), 68-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2012.04.005. Go to original source...
    56. Zacher, H., & Rudolph, C. W. (2021) Individual differences and changes in subjective wellbeing during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. American Psychologist, 76(1), 50-62. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000702. Go to original source...
    57. Zhu, J., Tatachari, S., & Chattopadhyay, P. (2017). Newcomer Identification: Trends, Antecedents, Moderators, and Consequences. Academy of Management Journal, 60(3), 855-879. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2015.0466. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content