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Does Telework Signal Inclusion, and for Whom? A Multilevel Examination of Employee Gender and Organizational Gender Composition as Contingencies
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Does Telework Signal Inclusion, and for Whom? A Multilevel Examination of Employee Gender and Organizational Gender Composition as Contingencies

Yingjie Qian, Yanran Fang, Yiduo Shao and Junqi Shi
Journal of organizational behavior
03/19/2026
DOI: 10.1002/job.70079

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Abstract

Telework is a flexible work arrangement that allows employees to work from any location. Although telework is often viewed as a signal of organizations' inclusion efforts, it remains unclear whether telework fosters perceptions of inclusion, and for whom. Drawing on signaling theory, we adopt a multilevel perspective to examine the conditions under which telework is associated with perceptions of inclusion at both the organizational and employee levels. Our analysis of three-wave, multisource (i.e., employees, HR managers, and top managers) data collected from 244 organizations and 1454 employees shows that telework availability was positively related to organizational inclusive climate, and subsequently to organizational performance and innovation, but only in organizations with higher gender diversity. This relationship does not vary by the proportion of women employees. At the employee level, telework participation is negatively associated with perceptions of inclusion among men, but not among women. These findings offer insights into understanding whether and when telework functions as an inclusion signal across levels and underscore the critical role of gender-related contingencies. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of our findings.
 Business Psychology Social Sciences Business & Economics Management Psychology, Applied

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