Functioning, Capability and Freedom: A Framework for Understanding Workplace Disabilities

Work-related disability issues have been central in many of the U.S. public policy debates since the late 1970s and early 1980s. Although there is a robust business, legal, and public policy literature dealing with such issues philosophical analyses are not common. Accordingly, the paper examines, from a broadly philosophical perspective, some of the issues associated with restricted workplace employment opportunities due to the presence of one or more real or perceived disabilities. Following a review of the concept of disability, the paper examines disabilities and impairments using the concepts of functionings and capabilities developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. The paper then connects the capabilities approach to disabilities with the concepts of negative and positive freedom developed by Isaiah Berlin. The paper concludes by suggesting how to address employment and workplace discriminations of disabled people.     

Dealing with differences: the impact of perceived diversity outcomes on selection and assessment of minority candidates

Although many strategies have been employed to specifically recruit and select minority employees, the selection rates for designated minority groups are often lower than those for the majority group. Minority candidates with high cultural maintenance (CM) are particularly vulnerable to cultural bias in selection procedures, a process which has proved difficult to change. This paper aims to examine whether these effects may be moderated by recruiters’ perceived diversity outcomes; whether they view diversity as beneficial or threatening to the organization's performance. In an experimental study, participants belonging to a cultural majority group played the role of recruiters (n = 99). Their diversity perceptions were manipulated by asking them to think about, and discuss, either positive or negative outcomes of cultural diversity in the workplace. They were then asked to rate fictional profiles of minority candidates for a job opening. The results confirm that CM of minority candidates has a negative main effect on the ratings they receive in assessment procedures. However, as predicted, this effect is moderated by diversity perceptions. Recruiters who perceive individual differences in the workplace as positive and beneficial, give higher ratings to candidates who maintain their own culture. This provides a promising insight in possible ways to reduce cultural bias in selection procedures.     

Perceptions of Discrimination and Justice Among Employees with Disabilities

Despite the passage of almost two decades since the enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act in the United States, individuals with disabilities are still underrepresented in the workforce, tend to hold lower status jobs, and receive lower wages. This study examines whether disabled workers also continue to encounter more negative workplace experiences in terms of discrimination and injustice. A sample of 1,880 employees of a large university, including 90 self-identified disabled individuals completed a work experience survey. Analyses indicate that disabled employees reported more overt and subtle discrimination and more procedural injustice than their non-disabled counterparts. Examination by the type of disability also revealed that those with non-physical disabilities reported more negative experiences than employees with physical disabilities. Perceived organizational and supervisory support were shown to have promise in reducing the effects of disability status on workplace attitudes and perceptions.     

From curse to cure of workplace ostracism: A systematic review and future research agenda

Workplace ostracism is mistreatment in disguise that has spread its roots deep into organizations. This research has a threefold purpose. Firstly, to shed light on its seriousness by highlighting its personal, relational, and organizational impacts. Secondly, to identify buffering mechanisms that nullify its damaging impacts. Finally, to offer novel avenues for future research. The systematic review of 89 articles reveals workplace ostracism causes significant damages to employees, their personal and professional relationships, and organizations. It also reveals that employees' traits, abilities, skills, psychological states, job-related factors, support, culture, and religiousness cushion against ostracism's adverse impacts. Perhaps this is the first review that highlights workplace ostracism's relational impacts and systematically and comprehensively summarizes its buffering mechanisms as the cure to its curse. This review identifies literature gaps and proposes a future research framework and other future research directions for scholars to address them. It concludes with a discussion of practical implications.     

Subjective fit with organizational culture: an investigation of moderating effects in the work stressor-employee adjustment relationship

Occupational stress has been a concern for human resource managers in light of research investigating the work stressor-employee adjustment relationship. This research has consistently demonstrated many negative effects between stressors in the workplace and employee adjustment. A considerable amount of literature also describes potential moderators of this relationship. Subjective fit with organizational culture has been established as a significant predictor of employee job-related attitudes; however, research has neglected investigation of the potential moderating effect of subjective fit in the work stressor-employee adjustment process. It was predicted that perceptions of subjective fit with the organization's values and goals would mitigate the negative effect of work stressors on employee adjustment in an employee sample from three organizations (N = 256). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed support for the stress-buffering effects of high subjective fit in the prediction of physical symptoms, job satisfaction, and intentions to leave. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.     

Perspectives on Disability Disclosure: The Importance of Employer Practices and Workplace Climate

Disclosing a disability to a potential or current employer is a very personal decision, with potentially far-reaching consequences for both the employer and employee. Disability disclosure can assure that employees receive appropriate workplace accommodations, and can help employers respond more effectively to diversity and inclusion initiatives aimed at increasing the hiring and retention of individuals with disabilities. However, disclosure may also result in negative employment consequences for employees, such as lowered supervisor expectations, isolation from co-workers, and increased likelihood of termination. Given demographic trends related to disability in the labor force and recent initiatives to increase the employment of individuals with disabilities, it is increasingly important that employers create an environment that encourages disclosure and reduces the likelihood of negative consequences for employees and applicants who disclose their disabilities. This paper presents the findings of a survey of individuals with disabilities focused on identifying and better understanding the factors that influence the disclosure decision. Results highlight the barriers and facilitators that influence individuals’ decision to disclose and the important role that employers, managers, and workplace climate play in the decision. Implications for employer policy and practice are also discussed.     

A critical review and theorization of workplace backlash: Looking back and moving forward through the lens of social dominance theory

Workplace backlash, the explicit/implicit, and/or intentional/unintentional attempts to reject efforts to promote diversity, taken by both dominant and subordinate social group members to maintain the group-based social hierarchy at work, has emerged as a major threat to fostering diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace. Although intense scholarly attention has been paid to workplace backlash, the literature has a highly individualistic and fragmented perspective of backlash, which hinders theoretical advancement. As a remedy for conceptual and theoretical heterogeneity, I first conducted a systematic review of the literature to present a critical overview of past scholarly endeavors and take stock of the empirical evidence. This article provides an alternative, unified definition of workplace backlash drawn from intergroup relations and the power hierarchy among social group members. Finally, based on the perspective of group-based social hierarchy, this study describes the emergence, development, and maintenance of workplace backlash through the lens of social dominance theory. Implications and future research suggestions are also discussed.     

Inclusive workplaces: A review and model

Organizations continue to be challenged and enriched by the diversity of their workforces. Scholars are increasingly focusing on inclusion to enhance work environments by offering support for a diverse workforce. This article reviews and synthesizes the inclusion literature and provides a model of inclusion that integrates existing literature to offer greater clarity, as well as suggestions for moving the literature forward. We review the inclusion literature consisting of the various foci (work group, organization, leader, organizational practices, and climate) and associated definitions and how it has developed. We then describe themes in the inclusion literature and propose a model of inclusion. Finally, we end by discussing theoretical and practical implications.     

The effects of technical and social conditions on workplace trust

This paper investigates the extent to which the technical and social contexts of organizations independently affect levels of workplace trust. We argue that, in an organizational context, trust is not just a relationship between an individual subject (the truster) and an object (the trustee) but is subject to effects from the conditions of the work relationship itself. We describe the organizational context as comprising both a technical system of production (where work gets done through the specification of tasks) and a social system of work (where problems of effort, compliance, conformity and motivation are managed). We analyse the relationship between trust and these two aspects of workplace context (technical and social systems). We also operationalize this in terms of differences between industries, occupational composition and human resource management practices. The model is tested using data drawn from the 1995 Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey. The results confirm that differences in industry, occupational composition and HRM practices all impact on levels of workplace trust. We review these results in terms of their implications for future research into the problem of analysing variation in trust at both the workplace and individual levels.     

Uncovering the relationship between workaholism and workplace destructive and constructive deviance: an exploratory study

Given the significant social and economic costs and/or benefits associated with workplace deviance, researchers have been interested in examining the antecedents of deviant behaviour. Similarly, as the incidence of workaholism has increased, there has been a need to further understand the positive and negative consequences of workaholism in an organizational context. This exploratory study examined the relationship of three workaholism components with measures of workplace destructive and constructive deviance. Data were collected from 142 male and female employees working in six companies in Brazil using anonymously completed questionnaires. The results suggest that the workaholism components were significantly related to two measures of deviance. This provides partial support for the hypothesized relationship. Future research directions and practical implications are discussed.     

Do external diversity practices boost focal firm performance? The case of supplier diversity

Based on the resource-based view, we propose that external diversity practices such as supplier diversity may affect firm performance. We find that the relationship between supplier diversity and short-term performance (i.e. productivity) is moderated by context such that firms in declining industries experience positive productivity effects while firms in munificent industries witness negative effects. For longer-term profitability (i.e. Tobin's q), we do not find support for a positive relationship between supplier diversity and long-term performance. However, positive supplier diversity effects emerge in munificent environments. Overall, in support of the strategic human resource management approach, we conclude that the effect of external supplier diversity on firm performance is contingent upon environmental munificence, which documented the necessity to include supplier diversity as a relevant component of a comprehensive diversity and equality management system.     

Diversity clauses in job advertisements: Organisational reproduction of inequality?

This article contributes to the research on inequality in organisations by analysing job advertisements that include a diversity clause stating that minority or disadvantaged jobseekers are welcome. The diversity clause appears as a response to expectations from the organisations’ environment, namely anti-discrimination regulations and activation policies that aim to persuade employers to counteract inequality and include minorities and marginalised groups. With disability as a case, the analysis demonstrates how the mundane organisational practice of advertising for new employees fails to avoid reproducing the inequality that it aspires to reduce. A predominant distinction in the advertisement texts between desired employees and disabled applicants (addressed in the diversity clause) shows how organisations, while acting properly and performing the benevolent practice of championing diversity, can still subtly signal the inferiority of disability.     

The effects of negative mentoring experiences on mentor creativity: The roles of mentor ego depletion and traditionality

The literature often focuses on the positive effects of mentoring, especially for protégés. When mentoring experiences are negative, the assumption is that these negative effects are less detrimental to the mentor than to the protégé, owing to the mentor's greater relative power in the relationship. This study uses ego depletion theory to examine the link between negative mentoring experiences (as rated by protégés) and mentor creativity and focuses on the mediating and moderating roles of mentor ego depletion and mentor traditionality on this link. The results are based on data from 227 protégés, 187 mentors, and 187 supervisors of mentors in Chinese organizations. The findings support a mediating effect of ego depletion on the negative relationship between negative mentoring experiences and mentor creativity. In addition, the study finds that traditionality attenuates both the positive relationship between negative mentoring experiences and ego depletion and the indirect effect of negative mentoring experiences on mentors' creativity through ego depletion. The implications for management theory and practice are discussed.     

Preventing burnout: the effects of LMX and mentoring on socialization,role stress,and burnout

Halbesleben and Buckley's (2004) review of burnout research suggested a lingering need to examine the relationship between social support and burnout. We address that need by investigating Leader‐Member Exchange (LMX) and mentoring as sources of workplace social support. We used data from 422 employees in a health care setting to test three structural models investigating the direct and indirect effects of LMX, supervisory mentoring, and nonsupervisory mentoring on organizational socialization, role stress, and burnout. Results suggest that high‐LMX supervisors and nonsupervisory mentors serve as resources that minimize emotional exhaustion through increased socialization and decreased role stress. This study advances the literature on burnout by clarifying the effects of different types of social support in reducing burnout. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Burned by Bullying in the American Workplace: Prevalence,Perception, Degree and Impact*

abstract This study assesses the prevalence of workplace bullying in a sample of US workers, using a standardized measure of workplace bullying (Negative Acts Questionnaire, NAQ), and compares the current study's prevalence rates with those from other bullying and aggression studies. The article opens by defining bullying as a persistent, enduring form of abuse at work and contrasting it with other negative workplace actions and interactions. Through a review of the current literature, we propose and test hypotheses regarding bullying prevalence and dynamics relative to a sample of US workers. After discussing research methods, we report on the rates of bullying in a US sample, compare these to similar studies, and analyse the negative acts that might lead to perceptions of being bullied. Based upon past conceptualizations, as well as research that suggests bullying is a phenomenon that occurs in gradations, we introduce and provide statistical evidence for the construct and impact of bullying degree. Finally, the study explores the impact of bullying on persons who witnessed but did not directly experience bullying in their jobs.     

When workplace ostracism leads to burnout: the roles of job self-determination and future time orientation

Abstract

Given that ostracism is a common occurrence in the workplace, scholars and practitioners alike have identified its range of negative effects. This study aims to examine the association between workplace ostracism and burnout level as well as the moderating effects of job self-determination and employees’ future time orientation, using a survey questionnaire. This was completed by a total of 248 employees from a hotel group. We hypothesized that: (a) workplace ostracism was positively associated with burnout; (b) this positive relationship was contingent upon job self-determination such that the relationship was weaker for higher, rather than lower, job self-determination; and (c) the positive relationship was also contingent upon employees’ future time orientation such that the relationship was weaker for employees who have higher, rather than lower future time orientation. Results confirm all three hypotheses.     

How to turn workplace boredom into something positive. A theoretical framework of the ‘bright sides’ of boredom

The management literature describes workplace boredom and related behaviors mostly as counterproductive. However, within the psychological literature, boredom is studied as a functional emotion, stressing a positive aspect in this unpleasant state. This article introduces this positive approach toward boredom to the management literature. Specifically, we provide a comprehensive theoretical model and testable propositions regarding how to foster the positive effects of employees' boredom in the workplace. Based on Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory, we argue that boredom is the result of job demands. However, in combination with the right job resources, boredom can actually lead to productive coping behaviors (i.e., task-unrelated thought, changing task engagement, and other task engagement). We identify three traditional and three boredom-specific job resources presenting managerial measures that facilitate positive outcomes of boredom. These job resources are located at the level of tasks, work organization, interpersonal and social relations, as well as the organizational level.     

Accommodating Employees With and Without Disabilities

Efforts to recruit and retain employees with disabilities are often tempered by employers’ concerns over potential workplace accommodation costs. This study reports on accommodations requested and granted in intensive case studies of eight companies, based on more than 5,000 employee and manager surveys, and interviews and focus groups with 128 managers and employees with disabilities. Two unique contributions are that we analyze accommodations for employees without disabilities as well as for those with disabilities, and compare perspectives on accommodation costs and benefits among employees, their coworkers, and their managers. We find people with disabilities are more likely than those without disabilities to request accommodations, but the types of accommodations requested and the reported costs and benefits are similar for disability and non‐disability accommodations. In particular, fears of high accommodation costs and negative reactions of coworkers are not realized; all groups tend to report generally positive coworker reactions. Multilevel models indicate granting accommodations has positive spillover effects on attitudes of coworkers, as well as a positive effect on attitudes of requesting employees, but only when coworkers are supportive. Consistent with recent theorizing and other studies, our results suggest the benefits from a corporate culture of flexibility and attention to the individualized needs of employees. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Identification and Occupational Stress: A Stress‐Buffering Perspective

Occupational stress research has consistently demonstrated many negative effects of work stressors on employee adjustment (i.e., job‐related attitudes and health). Considerable literature also describes potential moderators of this relationship. While research has revealed that different workplace identifications can have significant positive effects on employee adjustment, it has neglected to investigate their potential stress‐buffering effects. Based on identity theories, it was predicted that stress‐buffering effects of different types of identifications (distal versus proximal) would be revealed when the identification type and employee adjustment outcome type (distal versus proximal) were congruent. Predictions were tested with an employee sample from five human service nonprofit organizations (N = 337). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that main and moderated effects relating to identification supported the notion that occupational stress would be reduced when there was congruence of distal and proximal identifications and distal and proximal outcome types. However, stress‐buffering effects were also found for high identifiers and low identifiers that were not in line with hypotheses posing questions for the definitions of distal and proximal identifications. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Challenge and hindrance stressors in New Zealand: exploring social exchange theory outcomes

Recent developments to the stressors literature have suggested that stressors can have both negative and positive influences. This study of 203 New Zealand government workers tested challenge (positive) and hindrance (negative) stressors as predictors of job outcomes focusing upon social exchange theory. The results found challenge stressors held positive relationships with supervisor support, perceived organizational support and employee loyalty; while, conversely, hindrance stressors were negatively related to these outcomes. Employer implications are that jobs structured to allow greater amounts of responsibility, with greater scope, are more likely to lead to positive job outcomes relating to feelings of reciprocity. Organizations that can better manage and control hindrance stressors while promoting challenge stressors will likely enjoy more loyal employees, with greater support perceptions, which might alleviate some of the tension of working into today's turbulent environments.