The researchers, including Associate Professor of Transformation Management Marloes van Engen, interviewed 26 employees from various sectors about their real-world experiences and published their findings in Academy of Management Discoveries. Van Engen: “In our field, it is commonly assumed that employees realise when they are being excluded. However, our research shows that, initially, they actually struggle with uncertainty about the cause. Employees start working harder, avoid conflicts or become extra helpful.”
Based on the study’s findings, the researchers developed the ‘Subtle Workplace Exclusion Attributions and Reactions’ (SWEAR) model. Central to this model is the mental tipping point: the moment when employees realise that these recurring experiences are no coincidence and that the cause does not lie with them. This realisation often arises from an accumulation of multiple incidents, a comparison of themselves with colleagues, or external cues – such as when someone close to them points out a pattern.
