Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-l72pf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-03-09T12:59:48.635Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Employers’ perspectives regarding reasonable accommodations for employees with autism spectrum disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2018

Michal Waisman-Nitzan Open the ORCID record for Michal Waisman-Nitzan [Opens in a new window] ,
Eynat Gal  and
Naomi Schreuer
Michal Waisman-Nitzan*
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
Eynat Gal
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
Naomi Schreuer
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
*
*Corresponding author: Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Employers who are open to the establishment of a neuro-diverse workforce, including adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), often encounter challenges resulting from both personal characteristics and environmental barriers. Employees with ASD demonstrate evident abilities and a high motivation to work, yet their employment rate remains low. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perspectives of 11 employers of individuals with ASD from the open labour market. Three themes emerged: employers’ perception of employees with ASD; their motivation to employ an employee with ASD; and accessibility of the work environment: reasonable adjustments. The findings support the importance of factors in the work environment that serve to either inhibit or facilitate the inclusion of people with ASD in the open labour market as much as their personal characteristics. The results relate to workplace accessibility within the context of the organization’s management and justice climate.

Keywords

autism spectrum disorderworking environmentaccessibilityaccommodations
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 25 , Special Issue 4: Neurodiversity , July 2019 , pp. 481 - 498
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.), Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Austin, R. D., & Pisano, G. P. (2017). Neurodiversity as a competitive advantage. Harvard Business Review, 95, (May-June) 96–103.Google Scholar
Baio, J., Wiggins, L., Christensen, D. L., Maenner, M. J., Daniels, J., Warren, Z., … Dowling, N. F. (2014). Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014. MMWR Surveill Summ, 67(6), 1–23.Google Scholar
Baldwin, S., Costley, D., & Warren, A. (2014). Employment activities and experiences of adults with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s disorder. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 44(10), 2440.Google Scholar
Bies, R. J. (2001). Interactional (in)justice: The sacred and the profane. In J. Greenberg & R. Cropanzano (Eds), Advances in Organizational Justice (pp. 89–118).Google Scholar
Brugha, T. S., Spiers, N., Bankart, J., Cooper, S., McManus, S., Scott, F. J., & Tyrer, F. (2016). Epidemiology of autism in adults across age groups and ability levels. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 209(6), 498–503.Google Scholar
Bruyere, S. M., Erickson, W. A., & VanLooy, S. (2004). Comparative study of workplace policy and practices contributing to disability nondiscrimination. Rehabilitation Psychology, 49(1), 28.Google Scholar
Cederlund, M., Hagberg, B., Billstedt, E., Gillberg, I. C., & Gillberg, C. (2008). Asperger syndrome and autism: A comparative longitudinal follow-up study more than 5 years after original diagnosis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(1), 72–85.Google Scholar
Colella, A. (2001). Co-worker distributive fairness judgments of the workplace accommodation of employees with disabilities. Academy of Management Review, 26(1), 100–116.Google Scholar
Corbin, J. M. (2015). In A. L. Strauss (Ed.), Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory (4th ed.), Los Angeles: Sage.Google Scholar
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage.Google Scholar
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiring and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage.Google Scholar
Cropanzano, R., & Greenberg, J. (1997). Progress in organizational justice: Tunneling through the maze. International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 12, 317–372.Google Scholar
Cropanzano, R., & Molina, A. (2015). Organizational Justice. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (2nd edn., pp. 379–384).Google Scholar
Dahlin, K. B., Weingart, L. R., & Hinds, P. J. (2005). Team diversity and information use. Academy of Management Journal, 48(6), 1107–1123.Google Scholar
Davidson, J. (2010). ‘It cuts both ways’: A relational approach to access and accommodation for autism. Social Science & Medicine, 70(2), 305–312.Google Scholar
Dedoose Version 7.0.23, web application for managing, analyzing, and presenting qualitative and mixed method research data (2016). Los Angeles, CA: SocioCultural Research Consultants, LLC www.dedoose.com.Google Scholar
Fast, Y. (2004). Employment for individuals with Asperger syndrome or non-verbal learning disability: Stories and strategies. United Kingdom: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Google Scholar
Foster, D., & Fosh, P. (2010). Negotiating ‘difference’: representing disabled employees in the British workplace. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 48(3), 560–582.Google Scholar
Gal, E., Landes, E., & Katz, N. (2015). Work performance skills in adults with and without high- functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD). Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 10, 71–77.Google Scholar
Gewurtz, R., & Kirsh, B. (2009). Disruption, disbelief and resistance: A meta-synthesis of disability in the workplace. Work, 34(1), 33–44.Google Scholar
Gilbride, D., Stensrud, R., Vandergoot, D., & Golden, K. (2003). Identification of the characteristics of work environments and employers open to hiring and accommodating people with disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 46(3), 130–137.Google Scholar
Hagner, D., & Cooney, B. F. (2005). I do that for everybody’: Supervising employees with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 20(2), 91–97.Google Scholar
Harlan, S. L., & Robert, P. M. (1998). The social construction of disability in organizations: Why employers resist reasonable accommodation. Work and Occupations, 25(4), 397–435.Google Scholar
Harrison, D. A., Price, K. H., & Bell, M. P. (1998). Beyond relational demography: Time and the effects of surface- and deep-level diversity on work group cohesion. Academy of Management Journal, 41(1), 96–107.Google Scholar
Hedley, D., Uljarević, M., Cameron, L., Halder, S., Richdale, A., & Dissanayake, C. (2017). Employment programmes and interventions targeting adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of the literature. Autism, 21(8), 929–941.Google Scholar
Hendricks, D. (2010). Employment and adults with autism spectrum disorders: challenges and strategies for success. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 32(2), 125–134.Google Scholar
Hillier, A., Campbell, H., Mastriani, K., Izzo, M. V., Kool-Tucker, A. K., Cherry, L., & Beversdorf, D. Q. (2007). Two-year evaluation of a vocational support program for adults on the autism spectrum. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 30(1), 35–47.Google Scholar
Hillier, A., & Galizzi, M. (2014). Employment outcomes for young adults with autism spectrum disorders. Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, 10(1/2), 69–82.Google Scholar
Hoever, I. J., Van Knippenberg, D., Van Ginkel, W. P., & Barkema, H. G. (2012). Fostering team creativity: Perspective taking as key to unlocking diversity’s potential. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(5), 982–996.Google Scholar
Howlin, P., Arciuli, J., Begeer, S., Brock, J., Clarke, K., Costley, D., & Guastella, A. (2015). Research on adults with autism spectrum disorder: Roundtable report. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 40(4), 388–393.Google Scholar
Hurlbutt, K., & Chalmers, L. (2004). Employment and adults with Asperger syndrome. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19(4), 215–222.Google Scholar
Jaarsma, P., & Welin, S. (2012). Autism as a natural human variation: Reflections on the claims of the neurodiversity movement. Health Care Analysis, 20(1), 20–30.Google Scholar
Landon, J., Shepherd, D., & Lodhia, V. (2016). A qualitative study of noise sensitivity in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 32, 43–52.Google Scholar
Liao, H., & Rupp, D. E. (2005). The impact of justice climate and justice orientation on work outcomes: A cross-level multifoci framework. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(2), 242.Google Scholar
López, B., & Keenan, L. (2014). Barriers to employment in autism: Future challenges to implementing the adult autism strategy. Autism Research Network.Google Scholar
Lorenz, T., Frischling, C., Cuadros, R., & Heinitz, K. (2016). Autism and overcoming job barriers: Comparing job-related barriers and possible solutions in and outside of autism-specific employment. PLoS One, 11(1), e0147040.Google Scholar
MacDonald-Wilson, K. L., Fabian, E. S., & Dong, S. L. (2008). Best practices in developing reasonable accommodations in the workplace: Findings based on the research literature. The Rehabilitation Professional, 16(4), 221–232.Google Scholar
Mao, Y., Wong, C. S., Tao, X., & Jiang, C. (2016). The impact of affect on organizational justice perceptions: A test of the affect infusion model. Journal of Management & Organization, 1–24, https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2016.36.Google Scholar
Men, C., Fong, P. S., Luo, J., Zhong, J., & Huo, W. (2017). When and how knowledge sharing benefits team creativity: The importance of cognitive team diversity. Journal of Management & Organization, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2017.47.Google Scholar
Morris, M. R., Begel, A., & Wiedermann, B. (2015). Understanding the challenges faced by neurodiverse software engineering employees: Towards a more inclusive and productive technical workforce. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility, pp. 173–184.Google Scholar
Muller, E., Schuler, A., Burton, B. A., & Yates, G. B. (2003). Meeting the vocational support needs of individuals with Asperger syndrome and other autism spectrum disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 18(3), 163–175.Google Scholar
Nicholas, D. B., Hodgetts, S., Zwaigenbaum, L., Smith, L. E., Shattuck, P., Parr, J. R., & Stothers, M. E. (2017). Research needs and priorities for transition and employment in autism: Considerations reflected in a ‘Special Interest Group’ at the International Meeting for Autism Research. Autism Research, 10(1), 15–24.Google Scholar
Ortega, F. (2009). The cerebral subject and the challenge of neurodiversity. BioSocieties, 4(4), 425–445.Google Scholar
Rupp, D. E., Bashshur, M., & Liao, H. (2007). Justice climate past, present, and future: Models of structure and emergence. In Multi-level issues in organizations and time (pp. 357-396). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Google Scholar
Santuzzi, A. M., & Waltz, P. R. (2016). Disability in the workplace: A unique and variable identity. Journal of Management, 42(5), 1111–1135.Google Scholar
Schur, L., Kruse, D., & Blanck, P. (2005). Corporate culture and the employment of persons with disabilities. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 23(1), 3–20.Google Scholar
Schur, L., Kruse, D., Blasi, J., & Blanck, P. (2009). Is disability disabling in all workplaces? Workplace disparities and corporate culture. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, 48(3), 381–410.Google Scholar
Scott, M., Falkmer, M., Girdler, S., & Falkmer, T. (2015). Viewpoints on factors for successful employment for adults with autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One, 10(10), e0139281.Google Scholar
Scott, M., Jacob, A., Hendrie, D., Parsons, R., Girdler, S., Falkmer, T., & Falkmer, M. (2017). Employers’ perception of the costs and the benefits of hiring individuals with autism spectrum disorder in open employment in Australia. PLoS One, 12(5), e0177607.Google Scholar
Snyder, L. A., Carmichael, J. S., Blackwell, L. V., Cleveland, J. N., & Thornton, G. C. (2010). Perceptions of discrimination and justice among employees with disabilities. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 22(1), 5–19.Google Scholar
Stone, D. L., & Colella, A. (1996). A model of factors affecting the treatment of disabled individuals in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 21(2), 352–401.Google Scholar
Storey, K., & Certo, N. J. (1996). Natural supports for increasing integration in the workplace for people with disabilities: A review of the literature and guidelines for implementation. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 40(1), 62–76.Google Scholar
Taylor, J., & Seltzer, M. (2011). Employment and post-secondary educational activities for young adults with autism spectrum disorders during the transition to adulthood. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 41(5), 566–574.Google Scholar
UN General Assembly (1948). Universal declaration of human rights (217 [III] A). Paris. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ Google Scholar
Victorian Equal Opportunity Act & Human Rights Commission (2010). The Equal Opportunity Act 2010 Quick Guide. Retrieved from: http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/.Google Scholar