MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED IN WORK ORGANIZATIONS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA (Published)
The general observation in the Nigerian society is that the physically challenged has for a long time been marginalized, and socially deprived as a result of exclusion in work organizations. Management Challenges are noted as encumbrances amongst a myriad of other factors which excludes the physically challenged in work organizations. The extent to which these challenges promotes their exclusion and enhances social deprivation is not known to policy makers and advocacy groups. The Nigerian society appear not to be abreast with the negative impact of Management Challenges which denies the inclusion of the physically challenged in work organizations as relevant data are not available to give it a focus. Therefore, the justification for this research is consistent with the need to source, develop a data base, analyze, discuss findings and produce a total package that will be a reference for policy makers and advocacy groups to promote or enhance the inclusion of the physically challenged in work organizations, which would accrue benefit of reduced poverty and social deprivation. This work focused on “Management Challenges and Employment Opportunities for the Physically Challenged in Work Organizations in Rivers State, Nigeria”. The purpose was to investigate the extent to which Management of work organizations poses as a challenge for the inclusion of the physically challenged in six selected organizations in Rivers State, Nigeria. The pilot survey, simple random sampling techniques, questionnaires were employed to select respondents. Four research questions were raised. In analyzing data that addressed the research questions the descriptive and inferential methods of analysis were used. The findings of the study includes: lack of policies and practices; Negative public perception; militating cost of recruitment; barriers of physical environment; and discrimination etc. Based on these findings, the study recommends amongst others that there should be domestic policies backed by appropriate legislation which will favour employment of the physically challenged; elaborate elimination of physical environmental barriers to enhance access to employment; promotion and sensitization of advocacy groups to enhance the protection of the rights and privileges of the physically challenged.
Keywords: Access to Work Organizations, Challenges, Employment Opportunities, Management, Management Challenges, Organizational Discrimination, Rivers State, Workplace Inclusion and Exclusion, the Physically Challenged