Taylor Fugere

Management of Complex Systems (MCS)

Ph.D Dissertation Defense

The Balancing Act of Belonging: Examining Practices and Processes that Build Belonging in the Technology Sector and the Organizational Factors that Erode it

Abstract
Despite spending billions annually on outreach and recruitment, women and communities of color are vastly underrepresented in the technology sector. Although innovation research has long recognized that groups from diverse backgrounds outperform homogeneous ones, many proposed solutions presume a lack of individual interest or motivation causes this underrepresentation. Recognizing the scarcity of systemic and social explanations, this dissertation examines the role of belonging-supportive practices on diverse members of technology-focused organizations. Frequently linked with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion topics, belonging is essential for members of underrepresented groups and closely tied to organizational identification, commitment, and turnover intentions. Using multiple case studies, this dissertation addresses the distinct stages of belonging—from how belonging is generated in virtual learning contexts to how it is maintained and eventually eroded in a technology start-up; this research advocates for a more dynamic conceptualization of belonging. Taylor's ethnographic research focuses on practices that support belonging for geographically dispersed STEM students as they seek belonging during remote instruction and highlights the importance of practices that enable psychological safety at a growing technology social enterprise. Key contributions include a proposed processual model of belonging generation and detailed analyses of how belonging enables supportive and inclusive organizational cultures.
  

Biography
Taylor Fugere graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Political Science and Social Welfare in 2015 as a Regents and Chancellor's Scholar. Passionate about social inclusion, she spent the next several years as a sexual violence prevention educator and diversity facilitator. She was a member of the inaugural Master of Management (MIST) cohort at UC Merced before joining the Lempiälä Lab in 2019. While at UC Merced, Taylor was heavily involved in pedagogy training and received fellowships from the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation, the UC Office of the President, and the UCM Faculty Research Mentorship Program. She is also a recipient of the PEO Scholar Award and an Outstanding Teaching Award.