The Invisible Balance of Belonging: The Experience of Belonging in the Workplace for Employees with Vestibular Disorders

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.)

Department

Organization Development

First Advisor

Jeanelle Sears (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Jason Whitfield (Other)

Third Advisor

Margaret Brooks (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Michael Zickar (Committee Member)

Abstract

Individuals with vestibular disorders frequently navigate tensions between concealing and revealing their condition to maintain social inclusion. This often results in psychological strain, emotional exhaustion, and conditional belonging. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of belonging in the workplace for employees with vestibular disorders through a transcendental (descriptive) phenomenological research approach. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants working full-time with a chronic vestibular disorder in the United States. Data were analyzed using Moustakas’s modification of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method, and seven underlying themes contributing to the essence of the participants’ experiences were identified. This informed the development of three essences: (1) a difficult disequilibrium: barriers to belonging, (2) a duality dilemma: navigating identity and social belonging, and (3) a dynamic desire: finding belonging. The findings of this study revealed that the essence of belonging in the workplace for employees with vestibular disorders is multidimensional. These encompass environmental, corporeal, relational, and temporal characteristics that must be considered to understand the experience and provide support in the workplace. This study’s findings identify key areas for human resource professionals and organizational leaders to focus on to foster a sense of belonging in the workplace for employees with vestibular disorders.

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