Engaging workers with disabilities in the financial sector: exploring promising practices through key informant interviews and a rapid literature review
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the challenges, barriers and opportunities for engaging persons with disabilities in employment in the Canadian financial sector.
Design/methodology/approach
We situated this research within a critical disability conceptual framework to add to existing theories of employee engagement. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study of key informant interviews of the experiences of diverse persons with disabilities in the Canadian financial sector.
Findings
We found that the financial sector has the potential to be a leader in the engagement of workers with disabilities. Key challenges include corporate bureaucracy and a focus on aggressive growth that perpetuates ableist norms of individualism, self-reliance and competitive achievement. Key informant interviews indicated that opportunities for engagement can be fostered by committed leadership, inclusive corporate culture, supportive management, and respectful and responsive workplace accommodations.
Originality/value
This article contributes to the literature on opportunities for equity, diversity and inclusion at work through a critical exploration of the challenges and promising practices associated with supporting engagement of persons with disabilities in the Canadian financial sector and beyond.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This resource was developed in partnership with the Inclusive Design for Employment Access Social Innovation Laboratory, the Centre for Research in Work Disability Policy and funded by Employment and Social Development Canada. We want to express our sincere gratitude to the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work for your incredible support and insightful contributions for this research. Thank you for your leadership in the development of disability confidence in the financial sector.
Special thanks to Akshay Mohan for your early work in the development of the ethics application for this research, as well to all the participants who have taken part in interviews. Thank you for sharing your passion, vulnerability, experiences, knowledge, thoughts and ideas.
Citation
Buettgen, A., Gardiola, A. and Tompa, E. (2024), "Engaging workers with disabilities in the financial sector: exploring promising practices through key informant interviews and a rapid literature review", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-12-2023-0457
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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