Work & Organizational Psychology Research in Services for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Humanitarian Perspective-Juniper Publishers
Global Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (GJIDD)
The aim of this paper is to highlight the
contributions of work and organizational psychology to the study of the
quality of life of people with intellectual and developmental
disabilities. To this end, some examples of research projects are
described. These research efforts connect organizational processes to
aspects of quality of life such as social inclusion and
self-determination.
Keywords: Quality of life; Work and organizational psychology; HumanitarianOpinion
Work & organizational psychology research in
services for individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities. Work and organizational psychology scholars aim to study
the behavior of organizations and their members and staff. Some of the
most commonly addressed topics are leadership and power, communication,
decision-making, motivation, organizational justice, trust,
satisfaction, wellbeing, performance, participation, conflict, culture,
climate, and organizational change. In addition, dimensions of the
external environment have been taken into account, such as its
complexity, its stability, and the availability of resources [1].
In many cases, there has been an emphasis on adapting the organization
to its environment. The organization, however, can also be considered an
active change agent of its environment. An example is the study of
service climate [2],
where good service quality practices are expected to produce a positive
image of quality among external users and society as a whole. However,
the potential impact of the behavior of organizations and their members
and staff goes even further, and an increasing number of researchers and
practitioners are interested in a humanitarian approach to work and
organizational psychology. In this regard, the Global Organization for
Humanitarian Work Psychology was created in order to promote a
scientific discipline oriented, among other goals, to the improvement of
social justice, people's self-determination, respect for diversity, and
the empowerment of vulnerable and/or marginalized groups who find it
difficult to participate fully in society. From this perspective, one
group that deserves attention consists of people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities (PIDD). In 2015, the United Nations Committee
on Human Rights identified a number of problems related to the
situation of PIDD (http://goo. gl/2HlY3W),
including the lack of inclusion of this group in their local communities
due to excessive institutionalization and a low level of employment
compared to other groups.
In this context, research in work and organizational
psychology has investigated the processes that lead to improvements in
the quality of life of PIDD, emphasizing social inclusion and
self-determination. One line of research has to do with incorporating
this group into the labor market and achieving more inclusive
organizations in our society. For example, Nelissen et al. [3]
studied 84 work teams in which people with disabilities (in some cases,
with intellectual disabilities) collaborated. They observed that
workers with a pro-social motivation displayed more inclusive behaviors,
especially when the team had a high inclusion climate. Other authors
have focused exclusively on organizations for PIDD (e.g. sheltered
workshop, educational services). One issue of particular relevance is
the interaction between the staff, on the one hand, and the families of
the PIDD, on the other. Research seems to support the existence of
significant discrepancies between the two groups. For instance, evidence
indicates that the staff is more committed to the self-determination of
PIDD than family members are [4].
In promoting positive attitudes toward self-determination in families
and encouraging self-determination behaviors at home, organizations for
PIDD would play a significant role. Martfnez- Tur et al. [5]
confirmed this idea in their study. They observed that communication
openness about self-determination (family members perceive that they can
discuss self-determination with the staff) improves the attitudes of
family members and increases the self-determination behaviors of PIDD at
home. Another relevant research line involves the exploration of
internal organizational processes that lead to an improvement in the
quality of life of PIDD [6].
In this research, a distinction is made between two dimensions of
service quality directed to PIDD: functional service quality (degree to
which the central or core service, technical or professional, is
efficiently provided by the staff) and relational service quality
(emotional and relational bonds between the staff and PIDD that go
beyond the main service and include aspects such as empathy or
authenticity in the relationship). In a sample of 724 team members and
1137 family members of 89 organizations for PIDD, the study confirms
that team members who are treated well by the organization, its
managers, and their colleagues are motivated to provide better service
quality directed to PIDD. This quality service, in turn, improves the
quality of life of PIDD.
These are examples from work and organizational
psychology oriented toward investigating the organizational processes
that stimulate the quality of life of PIDD. Of course, in organizations
for PIDD, different programs and projects are developed to improve the
quality of life of PIDD. However, beyond these projects, there is an
organizational life that has a significant impact on PIDD. An
illustrative case is the workers' treatment by the organization and its
managers, which has a significant effect on service quality directed to
PIDD and their quality of life. There are other initiatives to continue
the research efforts. An area of special interest is the investigation
of organizational interventions (e.g., stimulation of collaboration
among the staff, family members, and PIDD), with “pre” and “post”
measures, which make it possible to build bridges between science and
practice. There is, therefore, a promising horizon for advancing
knowledge and providing evidence leading to a better and more inclusive
life of PIDD
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