Employer satisfaction with employees with a disability: comparisons with other employees

This paper is based on survey responses from 656 employers who had employed someone with a disability using support from disability employment agencies. Differences in employers' ratings of employees with and without a disability in relation to employer satisfaction and work performance are outlined. Employers were found to be less satisfied with their employee with a disability than with other employees; determinants of employer satisfaction differed between the two employee groups; and employers were predisposed to be more satisfied with employees with a disability than with other employees in relation to the work performance variables tested. Identifying areas directly related to employer satisfaction, and highlighting important differences in factors that determine employer satisfaction between these two employee groups, provides valuable direction for effective strategic planning of service interventions

Employer satisfaction, job-match and future hiring intentions for employees with a disability

This paper is based on survey responses from 656 employers who used disability employment services to employ someone with a disability. Relationships between employer satisfaction and employer perceptions of job-match and future hiring intentions toward people who have a disability are outlined and discussed. Employers' perceptions of the job-match process were found to be an important determinant of their perceptions of work performance and employer satisfaction. Comparative ratings on employer satisfaction for employees with and without a disability were seen as an important indicator of future hiring intentions toward people with a disability. Findings reported in this paper provide important information on which to base strategies for improving future employment outcomes for people who have a disability.

Employer satisfaction with employees with a disability

Previous research that addressed determents of employer satisfaction with employees with a disability (EWDs) mainly targeted employers’ perceptions of workplace performance. This thesis used quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine perspectives of employers and disability employment service providers (DESPs) on the complex nature of employer satisfaction with EWDs within an ecological paradigm. Three studies were undertaken. The first analysed questionnaire ratings for 656 employers of workplace performance of EWDs. Analyses found: (1) employers rated EWDs lower than non-disabled employees (NDEs) on employer satisfaction and work performance; (2) determinants of employer satisfaction differed between EWDs and NDEs; (3) employers were more satisfied with EWDs than NDEs in relation to work performance; (4) lower comparative ratings on employer satisfaction for EWDs influenced future employment intentions toward people with a disability; (5) employers’ perceptions of job-match affected ratings on employer satisfaction and performance; (6) effects of job-match on employer satisfaction were direct and indirect, through work performance; and (7) variables representing job-match were relatively more important to employers’ decisions to hire and retain a person with a disability than variables representing Social Concerns and employer/management items. A theoretical model that depicted the influence of processes (job-match) and outcomes (work performance) on employer satisfaction with EWDs was supported. The second study analysed questionnaire ratings from 36 non-employers of EWDs. Findings indicated very similar responses between employers and non-employers of EWDs on experiences related to employer satisfaction with NDEs. Views about the relative importance of variable related to hiring and retaining a person with a disability suggested that generalising findings from the first study to all employers was reasonable. The third study analysed data from interviews with 50 employers and 40 DESPs; and questionnaire responses for 56 DESPs and 36 non-employers of EWDs. This study validated the importance of job-match to successful employment outcomes; suggesting DESPs were undervaluing their services to the employers. The study also showed that Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory provided a relevant framework with which to interpret complex information from different stakeholders, important to understanding employer satisfaction. In summary, employer satisfaction was shown to be a relative concept that varied with referent, and a developmental phenomenon that was influences by many factors operating and interacting at a number of ecological levels. Policies and practices to promote employer satisfaction with EWDs need co-ordinated approaches that recognise the influence of contexts internal and external to the workplace and the dynamic nature and interrelationships of characteristics within these contexts.

Employer (dis)satisfaction With Australian marketing graduates: the development of a research framework

The gap between the skills and competencies of graduates on finishing their degrees and those required by employers is well documented in the literature with the development of educational curricula in business, and particularly marketing, being the subject of much research and debate over the past two decades. Nevertheless no comprehensive model appears to have been developed or tested within the Australian education sector to ensure the provision of adequate information on which to base decisions in this field. This paper attempts to contribute to this research area by presenting preliminary investigations into the needs of Australian businesses mainly in relation to marketing skills of graduates. Using a mail survey to collect data from 194 Australian businesses, a Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to investigate the significant differences between the importance and satisfaction levels placed by employers on various graduate attributes. Findings of this research show that marketing skills appear to be valued at a lower level than general graduate attribute skills and that marketing programs may need to focus on basic marketing skills, more general skills and personal attributes rather than the higher level marketing skills that we currently teach at Australian universities.

Officer wellbeing, satisfaction and commitment : job conditions of Australian law enforcement personnel

Excessive job stress caused by unreasonably high employer demands, low control over one's own work and limited support can have far-reaching effects for the individual, organisation and community. The present study sought to investigate the relationship between officer working conditions and their self-reported levels of wellbeing, satisfaction and commitment using a well-known job strss model, the demand-control-support (DCS) model. Using a large (N= 2085) sample of law enforcement personnel, findings indicated that social support from work sources was the best predictor, whilst job control and workload both had significant influences on levels of employee wellbeing, satisfaction and commitment. Additionally, non-linear relationships were found between workload and wellbeing and satisfaction, indicating that both high and low levels of workload can produce negative outcomes. The results have implications for job design and management training programs, particularly in reference to social support training and workload models.

Business associations and the food processing industry in Australia : how neoliberalism has reinforced employer collectivism

In this paper I argue that factors such as conflicting pressures for food regulation reform and continuing industry assistance programs have made conditions even more favourable for collective business interest representation in Australia's food processing sector. The push by firms for less onerous and more business-friendly regulation has run up against environmental and social pressures/or more rigorous regulatory controls, as awareness grows ofthe risks ofnew technologies. The case of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) illustrates the issues. The extent to which this association participates directly in the design and implementation of public policy is indicative of a decline in the autonomy of politicians and the state bureaucracy vis-a-vis the ideology and interests of business.

The sport spectator satisfaction model : A conceputal framework for understanding the satisfaction of spectators

Customer satisfaction is associated with numerous positive business outcomes and is recognised as an important field of study. However, only limited research has addressed the satisfaction of sport spectators, with even fewer studies examining the determinants of this satisfaction. Yet an understanding of how spectators arrive at evaluations of satisfaction or dissatisfaction provides a useful insight for directing marketing and operational efforts. The Sport Spectator Satisfaction Model (SSSM) is an extension of the Disconfirmation of Expectations Model (DEM) accommodating unique aspects of the sport product, as well as accommodating the core and peripheral dimensions of the spectator service. The SSSM depicts club identification and the win/lose phenomenon as considerable influences on the satisfaction spectators derive from the game and its peripheral services. The SSSM integrates marketing theory, social identity theory and sport marketing theory to broaden our understanding of spectator satisfaction and provide a platform for further research.

Factors that influence employer decisions in hiring and retaining an employee with a disability

This paper is based on results of a national study in Australia. Questionnaires were completed by 643 employers, each of whom had employed a person with a disability between 1996--1998. Employers rated the importance of several factors relevant to decisions to hire and retain a person with a disability. Individual factors were rated most important, with grooming/hygiene and work-performance factors rated highest. Management factors and cost factors were rated moderately important. Social factors were rated least important. Analyses of variance were conducted, identifying several employer differences in ratings. The paper discusses employer values as well as the need to include employers in a partnership approach.

Employer benefits and costs of employing a person with a disability

This paper is based on results of a national study in Australia. Questionnaires were completed by 643 employers, each of whom had employed a person with a disability between 1996-1998. Employers rated the importance of several factors relevant to decisions to hire and retain a person with a disability. Individual factors were rated most important, with grooming/hygiene and work-performance factors rated highest. Management factors and cost factors were rated moderately important. Social factors were rated least important. Analyses of variance were conducted, identifying several employer differences in ratings. The paper discusses employer values as well as the need to include employers in a partnership approach.

Maintaining life satisfaction: the role of positive cognitive bias

Recent research into population standards of life satisfaction has revealed a remarkable level of uniformity, with the mean values for Western populations clustering at around three-quarters of the measurement scale maximum. While this seems to suggest the presence of a homeostatic mechanism for life satisfaction, the character of such a hypothetical device is uncertain. This paper proposes that well-being homeostasis is controlled by positive cognitive biases pertaining to the self. Most particular in this regard are the positive biases in relation to self-esteem, control and optimism. Past controversies in relation to this proposition are reviewed and resolved in favour of the proposed mechanism. The empirical data to support this hypothesis are discussed in the context of perceived well-being as an adaptive human attribute.

The impact of sexual esteem, body esteem, and sexual satisfaction on psychological well-being in people with physical disability

The current study investigated the association between sexuality and psychological well-being in people with physical disabilities. A total of 1,196 participants completed the study. There were 748 participants who had a physical disability and 448 participants who were able-bodied. The results demonstrated that sexual esteem, body esteem, and sexual satisfaction were strong predictors of self-esteem and depression among people with physical disability, and that this relationship was stronger among people with physical disability than able-bodied participants. It was also found that body esteem was more closely associated with self-esteem in disabled women, while sexual esteem was more closely associated with self-esteem in disabled men. The results of the study suggest that researchers and clinicians who are concerned with the psychological health of people with physical disability should consider strategies to improve the body esteem and sexual well-being of people with physical disabilities.

Normative life satisfaction: measurement issues and a homeostatic model

Previous studies have established that, when life satisfaction is measured over a range from 0 to 100 the mean scores of Western populations average 75 ± 2.5. The consistency of these data has given rise to the idea that life satisfaction may be held under homeostatic control. This paper further investigates this hypothesis by examining the distribution of data within populations. It also examines these data with a view to elucidating various methodological issues regarding life satisfaction measurement. In terms of the methodological issues it is concluded that measurement is best achieved using bi-directional Likert scales with at least 11 choice points. It is also determined that the life satisfaction of Western populations did not change over the decade 1980–1990, and that data derived from college students cannot be validly employed as proxy general population data. In terms of data distribution, it is calculated that the normal range of life satisfaction within Western populations lies within the range 40 to 100. The consistency of this non-normal distribution is argued to be further evidence that life satisfaction is held under homestatic control, and a descriptive model is proposed.

A conceptual model for sport services marketing research : integrating quality, value and satisfaction

This paper advances our understanding of the relationship between quality, value and satisfaction in the context of spectator sport services. This is achieved through an analysis and examination of relevant secondary data culminating in a conceptual model Although extensive research has been conducted in the three separate areas of quality, value and satisfaction, to date no work has been reported attempting to develop macro models that capture the concepts and their potential interrelationships. Such macro models could enhance the communication and stimulate further research for sport marketing scholars. This paper proposes a model apposite for further research and in the process leads to the potential confirmation, rejection or, indeed, adaptation of the conceplualization of sport services.

An analysis of the antecedents of satisfaction for superannuation fund members

The factors influencing the satisfaction of superannuation fund members are poorly understood at present, due to a paucity of research. This study looks at the relative influence that five key aspects of the offering of a mid-size Australian Superannuation Fund have on overall satisfaction. Despite the long-term nature of the product and efforts to educate members to think otherwise, short-term financial performance remains a strong influence on member satisfaction. With financial returns varying annually and to a large degree being out of the control of fund managers, the focus on this aspect as the main influence on satisfaction levels is problematic. The evidence suggests that shifting the focus of members towards longer period assessments (eg returns over the past five years) and towards aspects of the funds' offering that are points of differentiation (eg enquiry handling) is the only way to prevent large fluctuations in satisfaction levels and possible defections.