An Inductive Approach to Autism at Work: A Neurodiverse Perspective

Abstract

The increase in autistic individuals seeking employment has led to a growing need for management research to consider autism in the workplace. To date, little organizational research has examined this area and what research does exist relies on theories imported from either general psychology (e.g. stigma theory) or is couched in language that reflects a view of autism as a disability. We use the constant comparative method from grounded theory to inductively explore research questions and to provide researchers and practitioners with recommendations for how autism influences the workplace. Our data sources include: 1) the written responses of high-functioning autistic individuals and 2) written responses from individuals who have managed autistic individuals in the workplace. In the first round of data collection, the main categories that emerged revolved around the decision to disclose, communication issues or misunderstandings, and manager support across work difficulties. Underlying these categories was a desire for equal treatment through the employment process and an unfortunate ignorance of what autism is. In the second round of data collection, managers provided largely complementary viewpoints and gave us more nuance to an already rich dataset. The model that emerged contributes to the extant strategic human resource management literature by illustrating how inclusive work environments may serve as strategic resources for firms. Key words: Autism, grounded theory, strategic resources, neurodiversity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]