Fostering a Culture of Inclusion & Belonging: The “Flower Model” in Theory and Practice
Marcie LePine
What the paper says
Abstract Organizations and academic institutions increasingly emphasize the importance of creating inclusive and supportive environments. At the same time, growing political and organizational pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has created uncertainty about how such efforts should proceed. This paper argues that inclusion and belonging transcend politics, they are universal human needs that benefit all members of an organization. A conceptual ‘flower model’ is introduced that is comprised of five integrative focal points: psychological safety, self-efficacy, mindful learning, mental health and well-being, and accountability. Together, these elements function as the petals necessary to cultivate an environment in which individuals feel included and experience a genuine sense of belonging. Drawing on organizational behavior, psychology, and agricultural and applied economics literatures, each focal area is explored in depth, highlighting its theoretical underpinnings, similarities and differences with prior frameworks, and strategies for implementation. Illustrative examples demonstrate how organizations might operationalize the model. Implications for fostering inclusive excellence in the agricultural and applied economics profession and beyond are discussed, noting that cultivating inclusion and belonging is an ongoing journey requiring commitment and systemic accountability.
Evidence weight
Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40
| F · citation impact | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
| M · momentum | 0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07 |
| V · venue signal | 0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03 |
| R · text relevance † | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.