Insights into Creating and Managing an Inclusive Neurodiverse Workplace for Positive Outcomes: A Multistaged Theoretical Framework

Neurodiversity has historically been dismissed and undervalued in management and organizational studies literature. In recent times, there has been a recognition in practitioner forums about the benefits associated with neurodiversity, triggering recruitment drives to hire neurodivergent individuals. However, lack of theoretical frameworks and empirical research on workplace neurodiversity is undermining practice. We address this gap by presenting a multistage theoretical framework of managing neurodiversity premised on (a) creating a neurodiverse workplace through reconfiguring recruitment and selection; (b) fostering an inclusive workplace through careful implementation of development and engagement practices and management of perceptions of reverse discrimination; and (c) capitalizing on the benefits of an inclusive workplace, enhanced by equitable supervision, to achieve improved employee and organizational outcomes. This paper enriches the literature on managing workplace neurodiversity by offering deeper insights into barriers to employment, inclusion in the workplace, and positive outcomes of employment. Our proposed framework, derived by an integration of theories, will help managers effectively manage neurodiversity in the workplace, addressing the associated challenges. Finally, this paper lays a foundation for future research to advance knowledge on managing neurodiversity in organizations.

Does She Deserve It? The Influence of Gender and Meritocracy in Reactions to Affirmative Action Legislation

Gender equality is a matter for debate worldwide. In 2018, Portugal enacted legislation (Decree Law no. 62/2017) to balance gender representation on the executive boards of listed and public sector organizations with measures similar to those causing controversies in other countries. Thus, in accordance with previous research, a study took place to examine the attitudes towards the justice of this legislation and the role of merit in these attitudes. This study (n = 129 women and 94 men) deployed an experimentally manipulative type of affirmative action program to consider the role of individual perceptions of the justice of the legislation coupled with the influence of beliefs in meritocracy and participant gender. The results identify how the type of affirmative action impacted on the perceived justice, also influenced by merit, which seems normative and fundamental to evaluating the justice of such legally stipulated provisions. Nonetheless, objectively evaluating candidate merits revealed difficulties in disentangling this process from personality traits.

Policy Type and Justification Influences on Support for Affirmative Action Policies

Abstract. This study examines the influence of policy type (recruitment vs. tiebreaker) and policy justification (no justification vs. justified as increasing organizational diversity) on support for a hiring policy. Consistent with predictions, recruitment policies received greater support than tiebreakers and participants preferred justified policies to those presented without justification. However, the impact of justifications differed across policies. Justifications increased support for tiebreaker policies but did not increase support for recruitment approaches. The paper discusses these results in terms of fairness heuristic theory and implications for enhancing support for other forms of affirmative action.

Psychological Empowerment and Job Satisfaction

This research investigates the interactive effects of the psychological empowerment dimensions on job satisfaction. Using data collected from employees of multiple organizations, the authors find intriguing three-way interactions among the dimensions. Choice has a weak but negative effect on job satisfaction when both competence and impact are high or low but has a strong positive effect when one of the two dimensions is low and the other is high. Impact has no effect on job satisfaction when choice and competence are both high or both low. The effect of impact is positive only when one of the two dimensions is high and the other is low. In addition, high levels of choice and competence reinforce the positive effect of meaning on job satisfaction. The results offer important insights for future theory development on psychological empowerment.