Article 2024

Autism and Employment: A Review of the “New Frontier” of Diversity Research

Journal of Management
Journal · Vol. 50 · Issue 3 · pp. 1102-1144
Abstract

Organizations are demonstrating a burgeoning interest in hiring neurodivergent employees, prompting a parallel expansion of research on autism and employment. In this review, we evaluate, critique, and integrate diffuse research and theory on autism and employment across the domains of disability studies, autism, industrial relations, management, and rehabilitation. In doing so, we illustrate how incorporating the experiences of individuals on the autism spectrum can benefit management theory. Likewise, we highlight how existing management theory can help contextualize and enrich autism research. In addition, our review highlights barriers and potential enablers that individuals on the autism spectrum encounter during varying stages of employment, while also providing insight into steps that can be taken by organizations and practitioners to improve employment outcomes for neurodivergent individuals. We conclude with an agenda for advancing research and practice that enhances the employment experiences of autistic individuals and the outcomes of the organizations that employ them. © The Author(s) 2023.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Diversity well-being Recruitment autism performance management

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
University of Arkansas, Arkansas, AR, United States
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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