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.