Job Satisfaction Research: Implications for Supported Employment

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Abstract
Increased emphasis is being placed on providing integrated and normalizing work experiences for people with severe disabilities through supported employment. As more individuals are offered training in nonsheltered situations, it is important to consider the nature of the typical environments they will be moving into and the elements of work that make it a meaningful and satisfying experience for typical workers. The literature on supported employment has been primarily concerned with outcome studies of demonstration projects, the efficacy of training strategies, and the development of administrative structures and funding systems. In contrast, studies of work for nondisabled individuals have focused on job satisfaction and what the experience means to the worker, and for the most part have ignored those who have disabilities. This review examines supported employment in light of the literature on the experience of work by nondisabled people, with particular reference to the meaning of work in the lives of persons with disabilities. There is discussion of worker satisfaction, the meaning of pay, the effect of the task itself, and the role of the culture of the workplace on the behavior of the workers. Implications for the establishment of supported employment opportunities in typical businesses are presented.

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