Nörolojik Çeşitliliğe Duyarlı İş Yerleri: Nörodivergent Çalışanların Örgütsel Deneyimleri

Öz

Nörolojik çeşitlilik (nörodiversite), örgütlerin daha kapsayıcı ve sürdürülebilir çalışma ortamları oluşturma çabası içinde örgütsel araştırmalarda giderek daha fazla önem kazanan bir konu haline gelmiştir. Çeşitlilik girişimleri geleneksel olarak cinsiyet, yaş ve etnik köken gibi özelliklere odaklanırken, bilişsel çeşitlilik hak ettiği ilgiyi ancak yakın zamanda görmeye başlamıştır. Otizm spektrum bozukluğu, dikkat eksikliği ve hiperaktivite bozukluğu (DEHB), disleksi, dispraksi ve benzeri nörolojik farklılıkları olan bireyler dâhil olmak üzere nörodivergent bireyler; analitik düşünme, yaratıcılık, örüntü tanıma ve yenilikçi problem çözme gibi değerli güçlü yönlere sahip olabilmektedir. Bu güçlü yönlere rağmen, birçoğu işe alım süreçlerinden iş yeri iletişimine, performans değerlendirmesinden kariyer ilerlemesine kadar çalışma hayatları boyunca çeşitli engellerle karşılaşmaya devam etmektedir. Bu kavramsal çalışma, mevcut literatürün kapsamlı bir incelemesi yoluyla nörodivergent çalışanların örgütsel deneyimlerini ele almaktadır. Çalışma, nörodiversiteyi eksiklik temelli bir bakış açısıyla ele almak yerine, nörolojik farklılıkları insan çeşitliliğinin doğal bir boyutu olarak kabul eden örgütsel ve psikolojik bir bakış açısı benimsemektedir. Çalışmada özellikle iş yerinde kapsayıcılık, psikolojik güvenlik, liderlik uygulamaları, insan kaynakları yönetimi ve örgüt kültürüne dikkat çekilmektedir. Ayrıca, nörodiversiteye duyarlı örgütsel uygulamaların, farklı düşünme biçimlerinin bastırılmak yerine değer gördüğü ortamlar yaratarak çalışan refahını nasıl artırabileceği, örgütsel bağlılığı nasıl güçlendirebileceği ve yenilikçiliği nasıl geliştirebileceği tartışılmaktadır. İnceleme, nörodivergent çalışanların yaşadığı birçok iş yeri zorluğunun, onların nörolojik özelliklerinden değil, tarihsel olarak nörotipik varsayımlar etrafında tasarlanmış örgütsel sistemlerden kaynaklandığını ortaya koymaktadır. Dolayısıyla kapsayıcı iş yerleri yaratmak, bireysel uyarlamalardan daha fazlasını gerektirmekte; işe alım, yönetim uygulamaları, iletişim ve örgütsel politikalarda yapısal değişiklikler talep etmektedir. Çalışma, nörodiversiteyi desteklemenin hem etik bir sorumluluk hem de çalışan performansını, örgütsel dayanıklılığı ve uzun vadeli sürdürülebilirliği artırabilecek stratejik bir örgütsel yatırım olduğu sonucuna varmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Nörolojik çeşitlilik
• nörodivergent çalışanlar
• örgütsel kapsayıcılık
• psikolojik güvenlik
• insan kaynakları yönetimi
• iş yeri çeşitliliği

Neurodiversity-Friendly Workplaces: The Organizational Experiences of Neurodivergent Employees

Öz

Neurodiversity has become an increasingly important topic in organizational research as workplaces seek to create more inclusive and sustainable working environments. While diversity initiatives have traditionally focused on characteristics such as gender, age, and ethnicity, cognitive diversity has only recently begun to receive the attention it deserves. Neurodivergent individuals-including those with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, and related neurological differences-often possess valuable strengths such as analytical thinking, creativity, pattern recognition, and innovative problem-solving skills. Despite these strengths, many continue to encounter barriers throughout their working lives, ranging from recruitment practices and workplace communication to performance evaluation and career advancement. This conceptual study examines the organizational experiences of neurodivergent employees through a comprehensive review of the existing literature. Rather than approaching neurodiversity from a deficit-based perspective, the study adopts an organizational and psychological perspective that recognizes neurological differences as a natural dimension of human diversity. Particular attention is given to workplace inclusion, psychological safety, leadership practices, human resource management, and organizational culture. The paper also discusses how neurodiversity-friendly organizational practices can improve employee well-being, strengthen organizational commitment, and enhance innovation by creating environments where different ways of thinking are valued rather than suppressed. The review suggests that many workplace challenges experienced by neurodivergent employees arise not from their neurological characteristics themselves but from organizational systems that have historically been designed around neurotypical assumptions. Consequently, creating inclusive workplaces requires more than individual accommodations; it demands structural changes in recruitment, management practices, communication, and organizational policies. The study concludes that supporting neurodiversity is both an ethical responsibility and a strategic organizational investment capable of improving employee performance, organizational resilience, and long-term sustainability.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• neurodiversity
• neurodivergengt employees
• organizational inclusion
• psychological safety
• human resource management
• workplace diversity

Destekleyen Kurum

The author(s) acknowledge that they received no external funding support for this research.

Etik Beyan

It is declared that scientific and ethical principles have been followed while carrying out and writing this study and that all the sources used have been properly cited.

Teşekkür

The author declares that there are no acknowledgements.

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