Disability employment in the hotel industry: Evidence from the employees’ perspective

Scholars and practitioners have suggested that disability inclusiveness is a promising employment strategy in response to the shrinking labor force facing the hospitality industry. In understanding the merits and concern of disability employment in the Asian context, the current study was conducted to explore this issue both from the perspective of managers and frontline employees, and identify the unexplored perception gap between managerial and frontline employees regarding disability employment. In this study, a qualitative investigation was conducted, consisting semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups with managers and frontline employees who were working or would work with persons with disabilities (PWDs) in hotel. This paper suggested possible solutions to minimize the barriers to disability employment and provide important recommendations for managing the disability inclusion program.