With a more open and diverse marketplace, employee attitudes and requirements to the workplace environment vary significantly. When it comes to integration of a new employee with his personal background and value system into an already existent organization, a critical role is attributed to the organizational culture and the degree of openness of organization to accept a new employee. Organizational culture is shaped by members through both meanings of their actions and interpersonal work relationships. Organizational culture is the determinant of employee’s feelings, attitudes, espoused values, and overt behaviors. As such, a corporate culture that satisfies employee’s needs for safety at the same time encourages positive and healthy behavior of its’ members.
Organizations differ in the way they view dissimilarity among its employees. Organizational stories, symbols, practices reveal to employees how an actual dissimilarity will be viewed. Traditionally, diverse people were expected to assimilate to an already existent dominant culture. As such, organizations that expect assimilation cannot be considered open to the changes and diversity. In contrast, organizations that explicitly express their will to value the diversity are more successful and reach greater employee productivity through a higher rate of work satisfaction.
A healthy organizational environment that encourages diversity among its’ member and provides safety and satisfaction of employee’s needs is crucial to company’s success. Consideration for the general psychological needs of employees, even though obvious, still is not applied in every organization. As such, analysis of attitudes of employees could be applied within an organization to enhance and develop a more productive and tolerant corporate culture.
Even though it is difficult to objectively estimate the level of discrimination that is based on biased perceptions of an individual with disability, the issue is omnipresent in companies. As much as 43 million of individuals are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Even though African Americans and other racial minorities have made significant gains in their movement towards equality in employment opportunities, a significant percentage of disabled population remains unemployed. According to statistical data, as much as 66% of unemployed individual sighted other reason then personal capabilities as the major determinants of the hiring process. One of the dominant reasons is biased behavior and poor attitudes to people with disabilities.
An estimate of 43 million of people with disabilities is not a homogeneous group and perceptions of them vary. A perception of an individual with a learning disability is very much likely to be different as compared with the perception of a person with alcoholism or epilepsy. When analyzing work attitudes, the underlying factors like the type of disability matters when it comes to perception of a person. In case if a job applicant is personally responsible for own disability, he or she is likely to receive a lower evaluation from a manager. As the current research suggests, attitudes towards people with disabilities are even though multidimensional, but almost in all cases remain to be biased. Perceptions of individuals are dependent on overtness, risk and response associated with disability.
One of the most direct implications of this knowledge is adjustment of the counseling process. As such, a counselor should carefully consider the level of risk factors associated with the degree of overtness and the responsiveness of an individual. These factors, being the determinants of human bias, should be carefully considered and an individual with disabilities should be prepared to questions about own disability. Another possible implication is the organizations culture itself in a company that employs individuals with disabilities. An employer should think twice before implementing a one for all disabled strategy, as not only personality factors should be considered, but also the nature of disability itself.
Related Articles
Disability Insurance
By: Joseph Kenny | 08/12/2005 | Finance
Disability can occur at any time. While many people take their body and health for granted, serious accident or injury can happen to anyone and if you find yourself disable, for a short period or long term, how will you cope
Should Medical Students Consider Disability Insurance?
By: Andy Puls | 08/11/2006 | Insurance
Purchasing a policy while still in medical school presents tremendous advantages that can save students money after graduation, while protecting their financial future and providing the peace of mind necessary to focus on the demands of a career in medicine.
Disabled, Think You Could Cope?
By: Shaun Parker | 19/07/2007 | Non-Fiction
How would you cope with a disability, illness or injury which hindered every aspect of everyday life? Making the simplest of tasks into hardest of hurdles.
Why Some People Should Not Be Care Givers
By: Susan Ellis | 01/01/2008 | Diseases and Conditions
Society believes all are capable of being caregivers; that families should look after their own. But care giving is a learned skill. What happens when you don't have the skills?
Wheelchair Accessories Provide Comfort, Independence
By: Adam Hefner | 07/03/2008 | Disabilities
Wheelchair users, in order to be mobile and independent, need to be able to push themselves without having to juggle whatever items they're carrying with them. Wheelchair accessories are not only comfortable and convenient, but they also make a real difference in helping a wheelchair user retain independent mobility. Carrying several items at once while walking can be difficult enough.
My Ongoing Struggle With Dyslexia and Success
By: Kathy Angell | 02/04/2008 | Learning Disabilities
Dealing with Dyslexia throughout my life has not been easy. Dyslexics suffer more than you know due to the ignorance of other people. Dyslexia strikes people of all intellectual levels.
What Types of Social Security Benefits are Available?
By: Greeman & Toomey | 31/07/2008 | Health and Safety
An article from http://www.minnesotaSocialSecurity.net describing the social security benefits available to people.
Management Coaching: The Heart of Performance Management
By: Cliff Hebard | 18/09/2005 | Management
And "performance management" and
"performance appraisal," and even "motivation"?
At the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness, we
mostly leave these questions.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Unemployment in Illinois
By: Tim | 23-08-2008
am i eligible for unemployment benefits if I resign in the state of illinois
My name is Samanth. Iam 19 years old and Iam ...
By: Samanth | 22-08-2008
My name is Samanth. Iam 19 years old and Iam applying for Disability. I was denied the first time and I was denied the second time. I went to another psychologist and he said that I was major depressed,I had Schizoid Personality, and I need to be put in Parkwood Hospital. If I dont go to Parkwood Hospital, will I still be consider disable and will I still be able to received disability.
How many need oxygen for a human within one ...
By: laypyay | 20-08-2008
how many need oxygen for a human within one hours?
I am in the middle of a divorce, can the local ...
By: Larry | 20-08-2008
I am in the middle of a divorce, can the local court awrd my spouse money from my service-connected disability benefits? She is asking for temporary Spousal Support. She left and was having an adulterous affair with another man. We live in virginia! thanx
Possible frontal lobe brain injury
By: Gene Clements | 20-08-2008
On July 3, 2008, My wife took a 'header' from brick steps to a brick floor. Her forehead took the brunt of the fall, including broken glasses.
She subsequently developed serious 24/7 headaches, dizzyness, short term memory loss, occasional minor falls at home and has begun to (what I'd call) halucinate at night possibly steming from dreams that for her have become reality, even to the extent that she will get up and participate in an almost fantasy state! Such activity almost always relates to our various family members and might well include 'getting ready' for some future activity. Its almost like she was sleepwalking while still dreaming.
Might these be symptoms of injury to the frontal brain lobe?
She had an MRI shortly after the fall that indicated that there was no skull fracture, but could there have been injury that would NOT have been revealed in the MRI and that would result in the symptoms described above?
Thank You for any insight you can give me! The situation is getting serious!
Gene Clements
Expiration date and how to renew
By: Judy | 19-08-2008
I want to know how get online information. I am a cna and would like to have access to the texas department of human services-cna registry.Can my certification be renewed, after it has been expired(issue date 11/07/03)?
Q&A Powered by:
Latest News and Society Articles
Global Studies on Climate Change
By: David H. Urmann | 05/09/2008
Climate change is an issue that is currently alarming scientists. The factors affecting global changes are carefully studied by famous scientists around the globe.
Climate change is a significant weather change of a given region. Also called global warming, it increases the average temperature measurement of the Earth's surface. This involves...
International Wool Trade Shifts to Organic
By: Matt Gammie | 05/09/2008
Uruguay, which has a wool industry worth some $360 million and keeps around 60,000 people employed, is shifting the way it produces sheep hair in the attempts to counteract falling production levels, with a new focus on organic production methods. Tough the government ministry has said that this year's shear,...
Professional Firework Display for Wedding Days and Celebrations
By: Cythia Vanderwiltt | 02/09/2008
Tying into the decision on how to use wedding fireworks displays is the consideration of budget. Some outlets carrying fireworks and fireworks outlets are more costly, others are much more modestly priced. If you have a big enough budget put aside for ext
A Great Way to Make Your Wedding Reception or Birthday Go With a Bang
By: Cythia Vanderwiltt | 02/09/2008
The perfect choice if you are planning a wedding day and would choose to include a wedding fireworks display is to find a professional fireworks company that will work wonderfully with you. Ask for testimonials, and be positive that the company and its py
Ideas to Make Your Wedding or Birthday Go With a Bang
By: Cythia Vanderwiltt | 02/09/2008
Wedding parties , birthdays and anniversaries are a great time of celebration. It's time for a party and you want to know how to make your wedding party , birthday or anniversary go with a bang. fireworks display are ideal for such events and are a fabulo
Fantastic Firework Displays for Wedding Parties and Celebrations
By: Cythia Vanderwiltt | 02/09/2008
Professional firework displays as part of wedding parties, birthday parties, corporate events, or other celebrations can add a special pazazz. Guests of these events will be entertained and delighted by this added attraction, and the firework displays wil
How to Make Your Wedding, Birthday or Any Event Go With a Bang
By: Cythia Vanderwiltt | 02/09/2008
The key factor when it comes to professional fireworks displays is that they are just that - professional. These types of professional fireworks displays must be set up and presented by experienced, qualified pyro technicians, who should carry insurance
Kyoto Protocol and What it Means
By: Dilip Dahanukar | 29/08/2008
The UN member countries in a convention held on climate change in Japan, in 1997, agreed to a treaty for controlling the emissions. It was named the 'Kyoto Protocol' from the name of the place where it was signed. As of now, 170 countries have committed to implement the Protocol....
News and Society 
