DEI, JOB SATISFACTION, AND ENGAGEMENT: A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR THE RUSSIAN LABOR MARKET

Abstract

Organizations increasingly recognize that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices create conditions that determine employee outcomes and business effectiveness. However, most studies examine only the direct effects of DEI and rely on single mediators. The author proposes a conceptual model showing how DEI influences job performance through job satisfaction and employee engagement as dual mediators, taking into account characteristics of the Russian labor market — organizational hierarchy, formalized HR systems, and development opportunities. The model draws on international and Russian research and explains how satisfaction shapes engagement to enhance performance, and how contextual factors strengthen or weaken these relationships. The proposed framework can be empirically tested in Russian organizations and serves as a basis for developing HR strategies and cross-cultural management practices. The study emphasizes the need to link DEI initiatives with employees’ psychological responses and institutional conditions to achieve sustainable results.