How and when stereotypes relate to inclusive behavior toward people with disabilities

Abstract

The guidelines of the European Commission on corporate social responsibility stress the importance of sustainable employment for people with disabilities. The road to employment is however paved with obstacles, such as the often negative stereotypes and attitudes of employers and employees, which influence the treatment of people with disabilities at the work floor. In the present study, we build upon the Reasoned Action Approach to illuminate how and when stereotypes of employees toward people with disabilities relate to inclusive behavior at work. In a sample of 313 employee-colleague dyads, we found that the relationship between stereotypes (rated by employees) and inclusive behavior (rated by colleagues) is mediated by employee attitudes toward the employment of people with disabilities (targets). Moreover, work pressure functions as a boundary condition that shapes the relationship between stereotypes and inclusive behavior, in such a way that the relationship is stronger when work pressure is low. Research and practical implications are discussed in conclusion.

Keywords::

• attitudes
• inclusive behavior
• people with disabilities
• stereotypes
• work pressure

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency UWV.