Assessing employer attitudes toward hiring persons with disabilities
Hutchins, Margaret
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/19952
Description
Title
Assessing employer attitudes toward hiring persons with disabilities
Author(s)
Hutchins, Margaret
Issue Date
1989
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Renzaglia, Adelle
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Business Administration, Management
Education, Special
Language
eng
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among business- and employer-related variables, employer knowledge, perception, and behavioral intent concerning the employment of persons with severe mental retardation, physical handicaps, and multiple handicaps. Specifically, a survey entitled the Business/Employer Assessment Instrument (BEAI) was utilized to collect data and measure employer knowledge proficiency, perception, and behavioral intent toward persons with disabilities.
Surveys were sent to 425 employers from the Southeast and Central regions of the United States who hire individuals to perform janitorial, food service, or manufacturing responsibilities. Follow-up strategies were utilized to maximize participation of the targeted respondents.
The results found (a) a significant negative relationship between employer age and knowledge; (b) a significant positive relationship between level of positive experience with employees with disabilities and knowledge, between years of experience, level of positive experience, number of family members with disabilities, business size and perception, and between years of experience, level of positive experience, immediate family members with a disability and behavioral intent; (c) significant differences between employers of government and profit businesses for perception and behavioral intent and significant differences between administrators and co-workers for behavioral intent; (d) an interaction effect of job type and geographic region on knowledge and behavioral intent; (e) a significant positive association between knowledge and perception and behavioral intent and between perception and behavioral intent; (f) significantly more positive perception and behavioral intent for persons with physical handicaps than for persons with severe mental retardation or multiple handicaps; and (g) interaction effects of job type of perception and level of knowledge on behavioral intent.
Implications of the results were discussed with respect to variables that should be considered or could be altered by professionals who are responsible for facilitating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Limitations and areas for further research were presented.
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