Disability in the Workplace

Abstract

Similar to other identities, disability identity can be complex and exist at varying levels of integration with other identities, including an occupational identity. Yet existing empirical research in the management and social science literature on disability in the workplace reveals a lack of appreciation for the complexity of disability identity. In the following review, we move toward a broader conceptualization of disability identity in the workplace by integrating theoretical perspectives on disability identity across disciplines with existing research on disability-related experiences in the workplace. We propose that a worker’s decision to adopt a disability identity in the workplace depends on various factors that function at the intraindividual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal levels. We then draw on a more complex conceptualization of disability identity to inform existing research on disclosure and requests for accommodations, worker safety and well-being, and understanding responses to employment opportunities among workers with disabilities. Finally, we recommend several new avenues of research incorporating a broader view of disability identity and recommend organizational practices that are informed by a dynamic identity perspective.

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