This two-part diary study investigates how daily interactions with leaders and coworkers relate to employee inclusion. Drawing on Media Richness Theory and Social Presence Theory, we explored the relationship between daily interaction time through various communication channels and two key dimensions of inclusion: organizational inclusion and social inclusion. Daily face-to-face and videoconferencing interactions with leaders were positively related to organizational inclusion, whereas face-to-face interactions with coworkers were positively related to social inclusion. Additionally, richer communication channels generally showed stronger positive relationships with inclusion compared to less rich channels like emails. Our findings further reveal that employee inclusion fluctuates daily, challenging the notion of inclusion as a stable construct. These findings highlight inclusion’s dynamic nature and underscore the distinct roles leaders and coworkers play in fostering different dimensions of inclusion. Practical implications include prioritizing richer communication channels and emphasizing daily interactions to foster inclusive workplaces, particularly in hybrid work environments.
