| Citation: |
Fraser, R., Ajzen, I., Johnson, K., Hebert, J., and Chan, F. (2011). Understanding employers' hiring intention in relation to qualified workers with disabilities.
Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 35
(1),
1-11.
|
| Title: |
Understanding employers' hiring intention in relation to qualified workers with disabilities |
| Authors: |
Fraser, R., Ajzen, I., Johnson, K., Hebert, J., and Chan, F. |
| Year: |
2011 |
|
Journal/Publication:
|
Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation |
| Publisher: |
IOS Press |
| DOI: |
https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-2011-0548
|
| Full text: |
http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-vocational-rehabili...
|
| Peer-reviewed? |
Yes
|
| NIDILRR-funded? |
Yes
|
|
Research design:
|
Survey research
|
| Background: |
People with disabilities experience high rates of unemployment. The recession has made a poor situation worse. A number of studies have documented that this appears to be at least partially related to employer perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities. It also seems that the traditional approach used to assist persons with disabilities with entering the workforce also contributes to the problem.
Research that is focused on the demand side or understanding and meeting employer concerns about workers with the disabilities may help improve employment rates for individuals with disabilities. A few demand side studies have been conducted. In addition, the Theory of Planned Behavior may provide a clinically based conceptual framework to help identify determinants of employer behavior related to hiring individuals with disabilities. |
|
Purpose:
|
The purpose of this study was to examine the intentions of employers to actively recruit individuals with disabilities. In alignment with the TPB model, the study hypothesized that in a multiple regression model, attitude, subjective norm and perceived control predict intention to engage in hiring outreach behavior toward qualified workers with disabilities within six months of the response to the survey. The study also looked at the following predictors: behavioral, normative and control beliefs. |
|
Setting:
|
Surveys were completed at the end of meetings in each group over a 3 month period of time. |
|
Study sample: |
The study included 92 members of Rotary Clubs and a human resources group within a local Chamber of Commerce. Forty one percent were males the remainder female. The majority or 45% were 51 years of age or older. Over three quarters had an educational level of Bachelor's degree or more.
A number of industries were represented with the most categorized as other (32.9%). Sixty nine percent of the respondents were either human resource specialist or president/owner/CFO. About 60% of participants had the authority to hire and 67% reported experience working with individuals with disabilities. Close to half or 45% had received training about the Americans with Disabilities Act. |
|
Intervention:
|
The intervention was a employer survey. |
|
Control or comparison condition:
|
There was no control or comparison group. |
|
Data collection and analysis:
|
Several steps took place to develop the survey. The final survey included measures of attitudes, subjective norms, perceptions of behavioral controls, and intentions as well as measures of behavioral, normative and control beliefs. Means, standard deviations and bivariate correlations and linear regression analysis, T-tests and ANOVAS were used. |
|
Findings:
|
The findings support the use of the TPB model to better understand employer behavior and how VR can use demand side marketing to help individuals with disabilities with employment. The model accounted for 67% variance in the survey in relation to hiring intentions with normative influences accounting for the greater proportion of variance. |
|
Conclusions:
|
The findings should be used to help improve VR marketing efforts. More research is needed. Future studies should use a random sampling across diverse nationally represented sample of businesses. |
