Job satisfaction of people with intellectual disabilities: the role of basic psychological need fulfillment and workplace participation

Abstract

Allowing workers with intellectual disabilities to act with a sense of volition, feel effective, able to meet challenges, and connected to others is essential and contributes to job satisfaction. It is needed to pay attention to this, both in selection and design of workplaces and in support style. Implications for rehabilitation Knowledge on factors that contribute to job satisfaction is necessary to improve employment situations and employment success of people with intellectual disabilities. In order to achieve job satisfaction, it is essential that workplaces allow for fulfillment of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence of people with intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities are able to report on their needs and satisfaction, and it is important that their own perspective is taken into account in decisions regarding their employment situation.

Job satisfaction among disabled people in the sheltered workshop: Differential analysis

“…The importance of this dimension has also been pointed out and researched by Akkerman et al. (). The development of this dimension of quality of life in this type of company in the Spanish context is still a novel concept which has not fully established itself and, consequently, does not sufficiently guide professional practices.…”

“…In their study, Akkerman et al. () also commented on “the need for a more personalized approach to workplace participation.” The work by McDermott and Edwards (), carried out in Australia on self‐determination for adult workers with intellectual disabilities with a view to retirement, points in a similar direction. It would be advisable to start a line of action in which workers who have been doing the job for longer might be acknowledged, expressing their perception on them, so that it might be possible to set up initiatives to accommodate or adapt production and jobs according to their wishes and expectations.…”

“…In the same vein, Akkerman et al. () highlight the importance of creating work contexts which satisfy the needs of workers in three elements all related to articulating the “work ecosystem.” Paying attention to and taking into account people's skills, facilitating initiative and choices; and enabling the development of social relationships which allow for an optimum challenge. In a study carried out in Spain, Martorell, Gutierrez‐Recacha, Pereda and Ayuso‐Mateos () use logistic regression to identify the personal factors that explain the variability in this to the greatest extent.…”

“…Akkerman, Kef and Meinenger () highlight the importance of ordinary employment settings as generators of greater job satisfaction, although this has not always been confirmed by other studies. They point out the major importance of the role of self‐determination, understood to mean a dynamic interaction between the person and the environment, in job satisfaction within a comprehensive framework of a wider positive psychological vision of intellectual disability.…”

Human Resource Practices, Job Satisfaction and Perceived Discrimination(s) at the Workplace

“…Considering disability-based discrimination, a significant study (Goodyear & Stude, 1975) compared the job performance of 21 employees with a severe disability and that of 22 nondisabled workers, underlining that the first ones reported higher level of job satisfaction than the others, because their work-opportunities were lower and, so, their job gave them a greater satisfaction. More recent studies have found a similar result (Akkerman, Kef & Meininger, 2018;Kocman & Weber, 2018), suggesting that when disabled workers are needed job-related supports and given the chance, they are able to work as adequately as nondisabled employees and, consequently, absolutely satisfied with work. Nevertheless, if workers with disability are generally and moderately more satisfied than those without but they happen to experience more discrimination, they can report similar (or lower) levels of job satisfaction to those of workers without disability (Stone & Colella, 1996;Perry, Hendricks & Broadbent, 2000).…”