Challenges of organizational learning: perpetuation of discrimination against employees with disabilities

✍ Scribed by Lynn Perry Wooten; Erika Hayes James

• Book ID: 101764504
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 131 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0735-3936
• DOI: 10.1002/bsl.630

✦ Synopsis

This article examines why organizations struggle with learning how to prevent discrimination against their employees with disabilities. To explore this issue, qualitative archival data were collected and analyzed from 53 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuits filed against 44 organizations. Theoretical analysis of the qualitative data suggests that several organizationally based learning theories explain the difficulty organizations have with creating a disability-friendly work environment. These barriers to learning are embedded in complex defense mechanisms and discriminatory organizational routines. Furthermore, organizations have difficulties engaging in higher-order and vicarious learning. We conclude the article with examples of successful learning practices as they relate to barriers identified in the qualitative analysis.