Caroline Koenders and Natalie Lostakova, Business Administration
Caroline Koenders and Natalie Lostakova graduated with Master's degrees in Business Administration from Dalarna University. Their thesis explored neurodivergent employees’ lived experiences of job demands, resources, and leadership through a qualitative JD-R lens. Consluively, they found that while neurodivergent employees face significant cognitive, emotional, organisational, and identity-related demands, supportive leadership and tailored formal, informal, and personal resources are crucial in protecting their occupational well-being and preventing stress and burnout.
Can you summarise why you chose your specific topic?
We chose this topic because neurodiversity remains under-researched within the fields of business and management. The interest in neurodiversity is growing, particularly on social media and among our younger generation, who are now entering the workforce. However, much of the existing research on neurodiversity has focused on the perspective of organisational leaders or HR professionals rather than that of neurodivergent employees themselves.
We wanted to give voice to neurodivergent employees to better understand which aspects of their work they perceive as challenging and which as supportive in the real workplace context, and how all these affect their well-being.
What key results or conclusions did you arrive at?
Our findings show that neurodivergent employees often face workplace challenges that go beyond workload. These include cognitive overload (e.g. difficulty focusing and mental exhaustion), emotional strain (e.g. masking and emotional regulation), lack of leadership understanding, stigma and bias, unspoken expectations, and pressure to conform to neurotypical norms. We concluded that these factors, when combined, negatively affect the occupational well-being of neurodivergent employees, especially when workplace support is limited, unclear or inconsistent. Much of this effort takes the form of invisible labour that often goes unrecognised within organisations.
On the other hand, we found that supportive practices such as workplace adjustments, autonomy, clear communication, supportive colleagues, and inclusive leadership can significantly improve neurodivergent employees‘ sense of psychological safety, belonging, motivation and engagement. A key conclusion of the study is that psychological safety functions as the foundation for inclusion, suggesting that support is only effective when employees feel safe to express their needs without fear of stigma or negative consequences. Overall, the findings emphasise the importance of moving beyond reliance on individual coping strategies and towards more inclusive and sustainable workplace practices.
How would you like to see the results of your thesis used in the future? Who do you think can benefit from the conclusions you arrived at?
We would like to see the results of our thesis inform the development of more inclusive and sustainable workplaces. Our findings reveal that many challenges faced by neurodivergent employees are not individual issues but are embedded in everyday workplace structures, norms, and leadership practices.
We believe that the findings can offer organisations, leadership, and HR professionals valuable insights to reflect on how work and workplaces are designed, how performance is evaluated and how support is communicated and made accessible. It also might be helpful for DEI initiatives by showing the importance of psychological safety and inclusive leadership.
We also hope that the research brings more awareness to the topic of neurodiversity and the lived experiences of neurodivergent employees, helping shift the conversation from „fixing individuals“ to improving organisational practices. Ultimately, we hope the findings will support organisations in better recognising cognitive diversity and fostering environments where different ways of working are valued and supported.
How do you plan to use the scholarship?
We would like to use the scholarship to attend an international conference on neurodiversity, diversity and inclusion, or HR practices. This will give us the opportunity to connect with professionals advancing HR research / workplace inclusion, share insights from our research, and learn about new developments and perspectives in these areas.
What are you doing post-graduation? Are you applying the knowledge you gained from your studies in any way?
Graduating from Dalarna University has been a valuable experience that broadened our understanding of different business areas as well as sustainability. While we are currently pursuing different paths after graduation, the education and thesis project have opened new opportunities for both of us, academically and professionally.
Caroline has chosen to continue with further studies at Uppsala University, focusing on strategic management and organisational change, while Natalie is applying these insights in a professional setting. The knowledge, skills, and perspectives we gained at Dalarna University, particularly in critical thinking, research, and sustainability, continue to guide us as we take the next steps in our respective journeys.
What advice do you have for other students during their thesis work?
Start thinking about your thesis topic early and choose something that genuinely interests you, but is also realistic in terms of scope and data availability, because feasibility is often underestimated. We also strongly encourage you to ask questions and get feedback early on, both from supervisors and fellow students, as early guidance can make a significant difference and help reduce unnecessary stress later in the process.
What is your overall impression of studying at Dalarna University?
Our overall impression of studying at Dalarna University has been very positive. The university’s relatively small size allows students to have close interactions and personal attention, which creates a genuinely supportive academic environment. During the programme, there was a strong emphasis placed on guidance, practical relevance, and encouragement from lecturers. This allowed us to explore meaningful topics in depth while developing skills and perspectives that are highly valuable in the workplace.
How has sustainability been integrated into your education at Dalarna University, and how did that influence your thesis work?
Sustainability was not treated as a separate topic but was embedded throughout our education at Dalarna University, particularly through courses on corporate social responsibility, but also as a recurring perspective across the programme. This approach encouraged us to think beyond organisational performance and to consider the broader societal impact of workplace practices, governance, and organisational responsibility.
This perspective directly influenced the framing of our thesis. Rather than approaching sustainability from an environmental or purely economic standpoint, we focused on social sustainability, particularly that of inclusion, well-being, and equality in the workplace. Viewing neurodiversity inclusion as part of social sustainability guided us to critically examine workplace practices and to explore how inclusive approaches can contribute to long-term employee well-being and the social sustainability of organisations.