Background: Mattering is defined as perceptions of feeling valued and adding value. As part of a culture improvement project, a culture of mattering index (CMI) was created to assess the extent to which faculty and staff felt mattering in their relationship with peers, supervisors, and the institution as a whole. This instrument was used to evaluate the relationship among a culture of mattering, engagement, inclusiveness and well-being.
Methods: Unit scores derived from 469 units (4,264 individuals) were used to determine the factor structure of the culture of mattering index, and its relationship to engagement, inclusiveness and well-being.
Results: Factor analysis of the CMI resulted in one general factor (α = .90) and three sub-factors dealing with supervisors (α = .95), peers (α = .92), and the organization as a whole (α = .86). It was found that a culture of mattering is very strongly related to engagement (β = 0.94, p < .001) and inclusiveness (β = 0.84, p < .001). Concurrently, engagement and inclusiveness each are predictive of various domains of well-being. Therefore, culture of mattering has an indirect effect on several well-being outcomes.
Conclusion: A culture of mattering predicts important personal and organizational outcomes.