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  • Stuebs, Kurt W.
     
     Subjects
     
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  • People with disabilities -- Employment
     
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  • Employee attitude surveys.
     
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  • MSEM Thesis.
     
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  •  Integrating people w...
     
     
     
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    Integrating people with disabilities into the work place / by Kurt W. Stuebs.
    by Stuebs, Kurt W.
    Subjects
  • People with disabilities -- Employment
  •  
  • Employee attitude surveys.
  •  
  • MSEM Thesis.
  • Description: 
    x, 232 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.
    Contents: 
    Introduction -- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- ADA's impact on businesses -- Is the ADA enough? -- Attitudes, prejudices, perceptions -- Measuring attitudes -- Conclusions and recommendations -- Appendixes: A) Americans with Disabilities Act -- B) Interview forms: people with disabilities; employer/manager/able-bodied employees -- C) Discoveries from personal interviews -- D) Organizational Environment Test Instrument - (OETI - written and Braille format) -- E) Organizational environment test instrument - raw data and statistical computations -- F) Interviewing people with disabilities.
    The composition of the work force is changing; it is shrinking and becoming more diverse. Managers must adapt to the changing environment and acquire the skills necessary to manage a team of diverse employees, particularly employees with disabilites. American companies can no longer afford to exclude the unique talent of people with disabilities. By the year 2000, these companies may face a shortage of technical and business-trained individuals. People with disabilites complement a company's work force and improve its global competitiveness.
    The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became effective in July, 1992. This civil rights legislation is intended to remove employment barriers and facilitate the integration of people with disabilities into the work place. Unfortunatly, thh ADA's ambiguous wording is creating apprehension among employers. The majority of employers are wary of the ADA's impact on businesses and unaware of the benefits derived from employing people with disabilities. Experts believe that negative attitudes, myths, and misconceptions prevent the full integration of people with disabilities into the work enviornment.
    The contemporary nature of this topic resulted in conducting a significant amount of primary research. An integral part of the research involved interviewing able-bodied employees and employees with disabilities from manufacturing and service industries across the United States. The comprehensiveness of this thesis is attributed to the design and development of the Organizational Environment Test Instrument (OETI). the OETI was used to determine of an attitudinal differential exists between able-bodied employees and employees with disabilities toward nine enviornmental attributes. These attributes include commitment, acceptance, comfort level, awareness / sensitivity training needs, supportiveness, openness in communication, the existence of attitudinal barriers, perception of the ADA, and level of contributions from people with disabilites. Primary research is complemented by a wealth of secodnary research. Resource materials located through OCLC, WISCAT, Compendex, Internet, Newsbank, and Wilson-Disk support this thesis.
    Analysis of the data from the OETI reveals that a statistically significant difference exists between the attitudes and perceptions held by able-bodied employees and employees with disabilities toward the work enviornment. This difference impedes the integration of people with disabilities. Research concludes that employing people with disabilities has no detrimental effect on companies' insurance premiums, productivity, product quality, attendance, safety, or turnover rate. In fact, after hiring people with disabilities, companies experience increased market share, strenghtened work ethic, societal benefits, improved customer relations, and elevated corporate image.
    The ADA will not be totally effective as long as attitudinal differences remain between able-bodied employees and non-able-bodied employees. Proactive managers with a vision recognize this fact and develop strategies to promote the integration of people with disabilities. Sensitivity training, strategic alliances, top management commitment, disability mission statements, and the development of partnership relations are effective strategies in the integration process.
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    Walter Schroeder LibraryMaster's ThesesAC805 .S784 1993AvailableAdd Copy to MyList

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