| With a more open and diverse marketplace, | | | | equality in employment opportunities, a significant |
| employee attitudes and requirements to the | | | | percentage of disabled population remains |
| workplace environment vary significantly. When it | | | | unemployed. According to statistical data, as much as |
| comes to integration of a new employee with his | | | | 66% of unemployed individual sighted other reason |
| personal background and value system into an | | | | then personal capabilities as the major determinants |
| already existent organization, a critical role is | | | | of the hiring process. One of the dominant reasons is |
| attributed to the organizational culture and the | | | | biased behavior and poor attitudes to people with |
| degree of openness of organization to accept a new | | | | disabilities. An estimate of 43 million of people with |
| employee. Organizational culture is shaped by | | | | disabilities is not a homogeneous group and |
| members through both meanings of their actions and | | | | perceptions of them vary. A perception of an |
| interpersonal work relationships. Organizational culture | | | | individual with a learning disability is very much likely |
| is the determinant of employee's feelings, attitudes, | | | | to be different as compared with the perception of a |
| espoused values, and overt behaviors. As such, a | | | | person with alcoholism or epilepsy. When analyzing |
| corporate culture that satisfies employee's needs for | | | | work attitudes, the underlying factors like the type |
| safety at the same time encourages positive and | | | | of disability matters when it comes to perception of |
| healthy behavior of its' members. Organizations differ | | | | a person. In case if a job applicant is personally |
| in the way they view dissimilarity among its | | | | responsible for own disability, he or she is likely to |
| employees. Organizational stories, symbols, practices | | | | receive a lower evaluation from a manager. As the |
| reveal to employees how an actual dissimilarity will be | | | | current research suggests, attitudes towards people |
| viewed. Traditionally, diverse people were expected | | | | with disabilities are even though multidimensional, but |
| to assimilate to an already existent dominant culture. | | | | almost in all cases remain to be biased. Perceptions of |
| As such, organizations that expect assimilation cannot | | | | individuals are dependent on overtness, risk and |
| be considered open to the changes and diversity. In | | | | response associated with disability. One of the most |
| contrast, organizations that explicitly express their will | | | | direct implications of this knowledge is adjustment of |
| to value the diversity are more successful and reach | | | | the counseling process. As such, a counselor should |
| greater employee productivity through a higher rate | | | | carefully consider the level of risk factors associated |
| of work satisfaction. A healthy organizational | | | | with the degree of overtness and the |
| environment that encourages diversity among its' | | | | responsiveness of an individual. These factors, being |
| member and provides safety and satisfaction of | | | | the determinants of human bias, should be carefully |
| employee's needs is crucial to company's success. | | | | considered and an individual with disabilities should be |
| Consideration for the general psychological needs of | | | | prepared to questions about own disability. Another |
| employees, even though obvious, still is not applied in | | | | possible implication is the organizations culture itself in |
| every organization. As such, analysis of attitudes of | | | | a company that employs individuals with disabilities. An |
| employees could be applied within an organization to | | | | employer should think twice before implementing a |
| enhance and develop a more productive and tolerant | | | | one for all disabled strategy, as not only personality |
| corporate culture. Even though it is difficult to | | | | factors should be considered, but also the nature of |
| objectively estimate the level of discrimination that is | | | | disability itself. |
| based on biased perceptions of an individual with | | | | Andrew Shwartz is staff-writer at |
| disability, the issue is omnipresent in companies. As | | | | Custom-Writing.org, writing services custom. Andrew |
| much as 43 million of individuals are covered by the | | | | has been providing assistance to students with |
| Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Even though | | | | descriptive essay and Report Writing for over 2 |
| African Americans and other racial minorities have | | | | years. |
| made significant gains in their movement towards | | | | |