According to the report of the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1.3 billion people experience a significant disability. This represents 16% of the world population, or 1 in 6 of us (World Health Organization, 2023). Some people with disabilities die up to 20 years earlier than those without disabilities. Moreover, people with disabilities face many health inequities. Disability means a “person's inability to perform equally with others effectively due to long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments.” Disability is part of being human and is integral to the human experience. It results from the interaction between health conditions such as dementia, blindness or spinal cord injury, and a range of environmental and personal factors. An estimated 1.3 billion people—or 16% of the global population—experience a significant disability today. This number is growing because of an increase in non-communicable diseases and people living longer (World Health Organization, 2023). The below-given image has highlighted the disability status of countries across the globe along with the gravity of addressing this agenda in order to take suitable actions. The Gazette of India specifies that an individual with a disability implies an individual with a defined impairment of not less than 40% (Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, 1995). The International Classification for Functioning's (ICF) definition of disability that states that disability is caused by a complex relationship between body structures, functions and impairments, activities and involvement, and contextual factors reflecting the circumstances in which a person lives will be used (Yaruss & Quesal, 2004). The employment status of specially-abled people in India is very disheartening; only 36% are working. “A person is said to be specially-abled if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that has a significant impact on his/her daily life. This definition encompasses a wide range of impairments from physical impairments like a partial or total loss of sight, difficulty in hearing, inability to speak, various forms of immobility involving arms, legs, or spine, and mental impairments like autism and dyslexia. The employee and the employer require employees to produce goods or render services for economic growth and development (Keynes, 1937). The proportion of specially-abled workers in the national capital region (NCR) is only 27.92%, the fourth lowest in India, despite enormous opportunities in multiple sectors, including the hospitality and tourism industry (Saikia et al., 2016). Everywhere in the world, there are works that can be performed by specially-abled people with some adaptable changes in the work environment and moral support from their societies. In India, the main reason for the significant difference in work supply and demand for a qualified, specially-abled person is the disparity between where they live and where the positions are open, as most of the population lives in rural areas. The robust financial performance of tourism and travel shows the sector's authority as an instrument for governments to create prosperity while generating employment worldwide. Travel and tourism accounted for creating around 10% of the total jobs in India, and 14 million indirect and 25 million direct jobs were created in 2016. A study on hotel and catering businesses by Piramanayagam and Seal, and Kalargyrou and Volis found that managers and industry leaders viewed specially-abled employees as equal to others or better than staff with no disabilities in terms of performance (Kalargyrou & Volis, 2014; Piramanayagam & Seal, 2020). The unemployment rate of specially-abled people in India is higher than that of the standard population. This study links the requirement for a skilled workforce in the Indian hotel industry and the employment need of specially-abled persons (Registrar General & Census Commissioner, 2011). Explaining the meaning of the terms used in this study is extremely important as the only research carried forward is based on understanding these terms. The Gazette of India also defines every term used to understand the laws or acts better and implement their policies; after that, the definition changes with time to better implement the concept in society. Specially-abled persons stand for a considerable portion of the global inhabitants. More than one billion people, or 15% of universal inhabitants, have a recognised infirmity, according to the World Health Organization. This worldwide estimate of disability is rising due to the increase in the age of the population, the fast spread of chronic illnesses, and advancements in disability measurement technologies. Disability means a “person's inability to perform equally with others effectively due to long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments.” The Gazette of India specifies that a human being with a disability implies an individual with a defined impairment of not less than 40% (Ministry of Law, Justice, and Company Affairs, 1995). Disability is a collective term that covers “impairments (a body function or structure problem), limitations on the operation (related to difficulties in performing a task or action), and constraints on participation (an issue found in life circumstances involvement)” (Goodley & Swartz, 2016). The ICF definition of disability that states that “disability is caused by a complex relationship between body structures, functions and impairments, activities and involvement, and contextual factors reflecting the circumstances in which a person lives” will be used (Yaruss & Quesal, 2004). The ICF definition also acknowledges that health and illness exist in general, so considering not just bodily but also social and environmental influences makes sense (Yaruss & Quesal, 2004). A detailed study of the Indian population census in the last century can assume the status of specially-abled people in India. It not only shows the count of the population of specially-abled people but also the impact factor of the changes in governmental policies in due course of time and the societal approach. The Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999, defines “specially-abled persons” as an adult suffering from either a disorder similar to autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual retardation, or a combination of either two or more of those disorders, which includes an individual with multiple disabilities. In the 2001 census, the disability question was inculcated after a long battle of many individuals and NGOs who filed a RTI (Right to Information). However, only data on five types of disabilities were collected. According to the 2001 census, there are around 21 million disabled people in India. They have varied disabilities; blindness - 48.5%, orthopaedics - 27.9%, mental -10.3%, vocal- 7.5%, and deaf - 5.8% (Rakesh, 2001). The conceptual definition of disability matters a lot in estimating the population of the specially-abled. In 2002, the 58th round of the National Sample Survey (NSS) stated that the population of disabled people in India was 18.5 million, which is very contradictory (Mitra & Sambamoorthi, 2006). Every individual requires employment or a job to fulfil their daily needs. Employment is required by the employee and the employer for the production of goods or rendering services for the growth and development of both economically (Keynes, 1937). The Census 2011, conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, is the latest source for data on persons with disability in India obtained through complete enumeration, whereas the country-wide large-scale Sample Survey is of the 76th round of the NSS conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme implementation (MoSPI) during July–December, 2018 is the latest sample survey on disability. If we consider the whole employable population (20 to 39 years) inside the population of specially-abled people, we report that half the number of specially-abled people is 13.4 million. The employment status of the specially-abled in India is very disheartening; the Census 2011 report shows that only 36% are working. There are 47% male workers, while only 23% of females work all over India. In rural India, 25% of women with disabilities are employed, while the corresponding figure is 16% in urban India. Of the total non-workers with disabilities, about 46% are 15–59 years of age, 31% are of 0–14 years, and 23% are 60 + old (Menon et al., 2014). The U.N published a study in 2018 on the awareness of the Development Goals on sustainability by, for, and with people with disabilities under SDG 8 cited the example of India for providing a guaranteed 100 days of paid jobs for every family in a fiscal year, to be provided by state governments in India taking into account the needs of specially-abled people and ensuring granted job opportunities near their position of dwelling, to minimise their drive to remote distances from their place of residence with wages at par with the non-disabled. SDG 8 advocates developing positive, equitable, and balanced economic improvement, complete and meaningful employment, and fair work for everyone. Engagement in work positively affects social integration and the quality of living for the specially-abled. Jobs and productive employees are the most successful ways of breaking the vicious circle of deprivation and marginalization. The skills of specially-abled people lie untapped due to misunderstandings regarding their employment capability, divisive social perceptions, as well as inadequate jobs, centres of technical training, and career resources. SDG 8 targets decent inclusive employment in line with SDG 4 for inclusive lifelong education by 2030, following the international framework for all the countries adhering to UN guidelines as given below (Wescott et al., 2020). Training is essential for a skilled and highly motivated workforce (Sweis et al., 2019). Employee efficiency impacts an organization's bottom line. So, the corporate leaders must be conscious of the value and effect of training and growth on employee achievement and assessment. Staff training and growth help the company and staff accomplish several goals, such as increasing productivity, a sense of security, employee involvement, and the technical skills required to do work. With adequate growth and advancement programs and successful approaches to workplace success evaluation, staff would be able to support the company in maintaining its strategic advancement in today's global economy (Rodriguez & Walters, 2017).
An exhaustive review of the literature has been planned from the annotated bibliography on the research topic to better understand the challenges, prospects, and procedures during the research. This knowledge will act as a guideline in considering the research steps and how previous researchers dealt with similar problems regarding specially-abled people's employment challenges. The chapter has been sub-divided into different headings for better understanding and a systematic review of the topic and infers the literature gap in the studies.
Source: Eurostat Statistics (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/images/8/8c/Infographic_Disability_statistics_final.png)
The researcher adopted a case study approach to finding out the barriers put forward by the hotel industry managers in employing specially-abled people and the reality of these perceptions. The research addresses the myths about specially-abled people as workers in the hotel industry perceived through stereotypes and proves their ability to perform better in every aspect. Though the research is limited to a minimal sample size, an in-depth analysis of the problems has helped answer the misconception about specially-abled workers in the hotel industry. This study is restricted to a particular brand in the hotel industry and has a minimal sample size
The researcher used the three-stage Delphi technique to forecast the employment possibilities of disabled people in the hotel industry of Turkey, which has a flourishing tourism business. In these techniques, expert views from the industry, academics, and subject experts were evaluated through a three-stage question-answer process. The conclusion was extracted according to the research question. The study concludes that specially-abled people are equally eligible for jobs in the hospitality industry provided they are professionally skilled or trained for the job. Another outcome of this study is that specially-abled people should be employed according to their quality, fitness, and competency. However, at the same time, the nature of the job should not demoralise or deteriorate their health condition. An increase in production, sales, and opening of a new market segment with less employee turnover will compensate for the cost of training and accommodation. Though the study is limited to only six types of disabilities mentioned in Turkish law, it has established employment prospects for specially-abled people in the hospitality industry (Bengisu & Balta, 2011; Rodriguez et al., 2020). A work on the employment prospects of specially-abled people in Sweden depends on the type of disability, demographic factors, and educational level. A logistic regression model has been used to analyse the employment possibilities of specially-abled people from the secondary statistical data of the Swedish labour market research. The types of disability influence the employment statistics, but demographic factors have no significant influence, and a higher level of education also did not help get employment for specially-abled people. A person with a hearing impairment has more possibilities of being employed, and a person with a psychological impairment has the least possibility. The fresher, older, and female working population has less employment opportunities. According to the author, this study is more about the general employment condition of specially-abled people, and the degree of severity among the different debilities of the groups may have influenced the results (Boman et al., 2015). In Romania, the employment rate of specially-abled people is only 12.7% compared to 57% in the general category. The reasons are mainly education, differences in certified workability and self-assessed workability, and only 1% job segregation for the disabled. The study also states that those receiving a disability pension are reluctant to look for a job as they will no longer receive it once they start a job until retirement, and they are not sure of continuing a job until then. The private sector employs 61% of disabled people, whereas the public sector employs only 31%. Although they had a large sample size, the researcher did not study the specific hindrances faced by different disabilities in getting a job apart from societal discrimination (Angela, 2015).
Organizations are increasingly aware that better vocational inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWD) is in their self-interest for reasons such as a shortage of skilled labour, an increasing prevalence of disability in an aging workforce, and changed societal attitudes and laws regarding the promotion of diversity and equity in the workplace. The researcher has used school canteens as the subject for recruitment possibilities and training procedures of specially-abled people because they recruit semi or un-skilled people into their workforce. The data collected in two phases primarily gather information, some directors or managers of canteens were interviewed, and then a questionnaire was developed to assess their attitude, training process, tools, and methods towards specially-aged people. The data were analysed using Atlas and SPSS software packages. The result shows a positive attitude towards employing specially-abled people and different training methods for them. It is good to research, but the number of respondents for quantitative analysis is less, which is defended by citing previous research and a trend of low responses in this sector (Páez et al., 2011). The hospitality industry in the USA is proliferating, but a decline in the labour force has forced human resource managers to look for alternate labour pools, and specially-abled people can be a good option, according to the study. Many hotels were recruiting them as job trainees (Donnelly & Joseph, 2012). Research on employers' reasons for not employing and retaining specially-abled people are mainly lack of knowledge of their ability, as well as financial and legal implications. Inclusion and retention of specially-abled people can be increased only by creating an inclusive workplace, a societal-acceptance attitude, and liberal legal policies for both the employee and employer. This paper is based on research in multiple industries (Kaye et al., 2011). The researcher studied the factors that prompted the employers to employ specially-abled people and tried to develop a scale that will act as a guidebook for employing them.
There are seventeen goals, as identified by United Nations, with 169 targets in 2015 to assess sustainable progress in social integration and economic and environmental dimensions of development. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in consultation with other stakeholders, review the progress in achieving these goals on a national level at a periodic interval to reach the 2030 agenda of leaving no one behind. The SDGs-National Indicator Framework Progress Report 2020 is India's first formal progress report on SGD-NIF (encompassing all 17 SDGs), containing data from 2015–16 to 2018–19 (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, 2020). The Persons with Disabilities Act was enforced as an act of the parliament after receiving the approval of the President on 1 January 1996 for the overall involvement and equality of specially-abled people. This Act is known as PWD Act-1995, which evolved after the Beijing meeting in December 1992, launching the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons from 1993 to 2002 convened by the “Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific” (Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, 1995). This article tries to find out the desired practices for an inclusive environment at the place of work after introducing the (RPWD) Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, in India. This Act entails that both public and private industries are responsible for providing an inclusive work environment to the twenty-one types of specially-abled people, as mentioned in the Act. Definition of the disability was described, and citizens under this category are certified to disburse remuneration in various services. It was found that big organizations employ more specially-abled people than small organizations. The levy-grant scheme is more successful than the quota system (Mori & Sakamoto, 2018). Through this, we would be able to understand the intricacies of different types of disabilities and how to handle them legally and socially. It defines the medical, social, legal, and theoretical aspects of disabilities. It has been observed that though there is economic growth, job opportunities in the organised sector are less present and more on the unorganised front. This hinders the creation of inclusive growth and opportunities for specially-abled people. While the Indian economy is one of the fastest-growing economies globally, there is minimal development in job opportunities in the organised sector. Though there is a paradigm transfer of labour from the agricultural sector to the industrial sector, it is mainly in an unorganised form (Mehrotra et al., 2012).
The aim of the study is to investigate the present practices being adopted for four and five star hotels in the National Capital Region (NCR) in India.
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To identify the current practices adopted by four- and five-star hotels in employing specially-abled people.
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To examine the human resource and departmental managers' perspective on employing specially-abled people.
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To study the impact of employment in hotels on the lives of specially-abled people.
Hypotheses have been proposed on the basis of the available literature on managers' perception of of specially-abled people. The first hypothesis is framed by managers' perception of employing specially-abled people based on their characteristics', cost of operation, and training process. The second hypothesis is based on managers' awareness about laws and Acts in relation to the specially-abled people of the study area. The third hypothesis is about the treatment of specially-abled people in the hotels in the NCR of India. The data for the study have been collected during the period of September 2022 to February 2023.
H1: Hotel managers are optimistic in working with specially-abled people.
The second hypothesis is about assessing the knowledge of managers' about the RPWD Act as the literature shows that lack of training of the general employees for accepting specially-abled people has hindered the success of the Universal design principle of ITC hotels (ITC Hotels India, 2016). Employing specially-abled people will create a positive image of the organization for the consumer. Managers' should have knowledge and follow the laws through tactics such as adhering to quotas and implementing a penalty system (Aichner, 2021). Organisations were directed to have an inclusive policy handbook for specially-abled employees in the RPWD Act-2016. This has been designed and formulated to uplift specially-abled people and help them lead a dignified life in the country (Sarkar, 2018). Despite of presence of an Act, members of society struggle in accepting specially-abled people in their daily life (Vasanthi, 2020) as well as schemes under Central and State Governments to critically examine how the Indian legal system responds to issues of discrimination and the right to just and favourable conditions of work of persons with disability. The central theme of disability studies has been to move away from understanding disability as a medical condition requiring clinical intervention to understanding disability as an academic terrain. This approach uses disability as a category for research and a source of insight to contribute to existing bodies of knowledge. The paper will use a critical disability theory perspective to understand the failure of legislation, schemes and decisions of the courts in fully accommodating the rights of persons with disabilities. The paper will examine the extent to which the new law on the Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016 (RPD. Thus, the study measures the knowledge of managers in hotels in the NCR.
H2: All hotel mangers' have adequate knowledge on the RPWD Act- 2016
The third hypothesis is checked upon qualitative research findings on inclusiveness of hotels in the NCR from specially-abled people's viewpoint. Every individual has different abilities and their incorporation into the workforce will increase social inclusion of specially-abled people with intellectual infirmities (Meacham et al., 2019). Most of the hospitality establishments in India recruit specially-abled people as part of their corporate social responsibility. Availability of trained specially-abled people emerged as the main hindrance in employing them along with other ability specific factors (Vashishth et al., 2019). Society should be more accommodating and give priority in jobs to specially-abled people without any discrimination (Saleh & Bruyère, 2018). This will convey inclusiveness of hotels in the NCR.
H3: Specially-abled people are equally treated in the hotels compared to their co-workers
Constructs of Training and Employment Practices Adopted by Four- and Five-Star Hotels in Employing Specially-Abled People
The first set of questionnaires was shared with the HR managers of the 57 hotels, which are FHRAI registered, and 109 HR managers' responses were recorded, and the results are summarised.
Based on the information from managers on specially-abled people, the study reveals that only HR managers of hotels (N=15) have employed specially-abled people for the last 15 years. HR managers tend to recruit specially-abled people from private employment exchanges (N= 68), followed by NGOs (N= 36). Government employment exchange contributes negligibly (N=5) when specially-abled people's recruitment is required. All respondents confirmed that they recruit only 0–7 types of specially-abled people in different departments, and they prefer recruiting them in ancillary departments (N= 78), followed by housekeeping and food and beverages (F&B) production. F&B service and front office have the minimum number of specially-abled people recruited.
Furthermore, concerning training and development, the managers confirmed that they prefer using the cross-training modules to train their staff, including operations, allied departments, skill and personal development, and crisis management. For training specially-abled people, HR managers use role-plays (N=67) the most to train them, followed by demonstrations (N= 33), classroom lectures (N=5), and on-the-job training (N=4). For recruiting specially-abled people, only 16 HR Managers confirmed that they get concessions in recruitment criteria when they are employing specially-abled people, but most hotels do not get any such concessions or are unaware of such policies. HR managers further revealed that they do not have any separate or special budget for recruiting specially-abled people; however, a few indicated (N=18) that they do have a special budget for recruiting specially-abled people.
The information is collected from 109 HR and training representatives, out of which 98 work at the five-star hotel and 11 work in the four-star hotel. Table 1 demonstrates that most of the respondents were females (N=68) and then males were (N=41). The maximum number of respondents falls in the category (N=36) of those 19–25 years of age, followed by those who were 26–35 years, 36–45 years, and 46–55 years. Most of the respondents have experience with specially-abled people by working as their co-workers.
Research Gap Perceived From the Above Literature
| Research Gap | Reference Papers |
|---|---|
| |
|
Exploratory factor analysis was carried out to understand HR managers' perception towards employing specially-abled people. Exploratory factor analysis helps identify whether the items represent their construct or have a high correlation with other items. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approach using Varimax rotation. Furthermore, to check the suitability of factor analysis on the current data, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test was performed to measure sample adequacy. The values of KMO and Bartlett's Test (Table 3) confirmed that the data were fit for factor analysis. The KMO measure of the sampling adequacy value was 0.719, which is above the acceptable threshold value (Williams et al., 2010). Bartlett's Test of Sphericity showed that the approximated chi-square value is 418.404 with 45 degrees of freedom. Bartlett's test was significant at 5% (p-value <0.01), which further confirms that the data were suitable for factor analysis.
Participant Details
| Variables | Category | Frequency | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | 41 | 37.61 |
| Female | 68 | 62.38 | |
| Age | 19–25 Years | 36 | 33.03 |
| 26–35 Years | 29 | 26.65 | |
| 36–45 Years | 21 | 19.26 | |
| 46–55 Years | 12 | 11.00 | |
| 55 years and above | 11 | 10.06 | |
| Category of Hotel | Four–star hotel | 11 | 10.09 |
| Five–star hotel | 98 | 89.91 | |
| Current job position | Managers | 42 | 38.53 |
| Director | 52 | 47.7 | |
| Others | 15 | 13.76 | |
| Experiences with Specially-Abled People | None | 12 | 11.01 |
| Family | 3 | 2.752 | |
| Friend | 7 | 6.42 | |
| Co-worker | 87 | 79.81 |
KMO and Bartlett's Test
| KMO and Bartlett's Test | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. | .719 | |
| Approx. Chi-Square | 418.404 | |
| Bartlett's Test of Sphericity | Df | 45 |
| Sig. | .000 | |
Total Variance Explained
| Total Variance Explained | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Initial Eigen values | Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings | Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings | ||||||
| Total | % of Variance | Cumulative % | Total | % of Variance | Cumulative % | Total | % of Variance | Cumulative % | |
| 1 | 3.513 | 35.127 | 35.127 | 3.513 | 35.127 | 35.127 | 2.843 | 28.431 | 28.431 |
| 2 | 2.035 | 20.352 | 55.479 | 2.035 | 20.352 | 55.479 | 2.530 | 25.296 | 53.727 |
| 3 | 1.441 | 14.414 | 69.893 | 1.441 | 14.414 | 69.893 | 1.617 | 16.166 | 69.893 |
| 4 | .697 | 6.975 | 76.868 | ||||||
| 5 | .537 | 5.368 | 82.236 | ||||||
| 6 | .472 | 4.718 | 86.954 | ||||||
| 7 | .426 | 4.259 | 91.212 | ||||||
| 8 | .390 | 3.902 | 95.114 | ||||||
| 9 | .274 | 2.740 | 97.855 | ||||||
| 10 | .215 | 2.145 | 100.000 | ||||||
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
In the course of the validation process, no item was found to have low factor loadings. Hence, all the ten items were retained for factor extraction. The three factors were extracted using varimax rotation, which accounted for 69.893% of the variation, as shown in Table 3.
Furthermore, rotated component matrix (Table 5) shows the factor loadings of each item, and these factors were then checked for the reliability using Cronbach Alpha.
Rotated Component Matrix
| Rotated Component Matrixa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Component | |||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| P5 | .827 | ||
| P9 | .822 | ||
| P10 | .765 | ||
| P1 | .730 | ||
| P2 | .834 | ||
| P6 | .826 | ||
| P3 | .770 | ||
| P4 | .654 | ||
| P8 | .903 | ||
| P7 | .874 | ||
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.
Rotation converged in 5 iterations.
This could be further confirmed by the Scree plot (Figure 2) that confirmed that three factors have eigen values greater than one and from the fourth factor onwards, all have given values less than one.
Scree Plot of Eigen Values for Factors of HR Managers' Perception
This could be further confirmed by the Scree plot (Figure 2) that confirmed that three factors have eigen values greater than one, and that from the fourth factor onwards, all have given values less than one. Reliability statistics is calculated using Cronbach Alpha for the three factors, and the results are summarised in Table 6.
Reliability Statistics
| Factors | Items included | Cronbach Alpha | Number of items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factor 1 | P5,P1,P9,P10 | 0.815 | 4 |
| Factor 2 | P2,P3.P6,P4 | 0.787 | 4 |
| Factor 3 | P7,P8,P11 | 0.753 | 3 |
Source: Factors for H.R and Training managers' perceptions
The factors identified through the reliability statistics that dominate the perspective of the HR managers toward employing specially-abled people include the training needs of the employees, the defined characteristics based on disability, and the skill set required for their future growth and promotion.
Training needs of the employees – The most crucial aspect of employing specially-abled people is the introduction of training programs that cater to their unique requirements. P5 in the questionnaire talks about the training of the employees based on their ability and the assigned job. As mentioned in work by (Luu, 2018), managers are required to understand the abilities of specially-abled people and provide them with the necessary training for their respective job, leading to their empowerment. Formulating training modules and curricula meeting the requirements of specially-abled employees is the key to creating an inclusive workforce. Therefore, using different training methods for specially-abled people is crucial (P1).
Characteristics – The characteristics of specially-abled people identified by human resources as the most important aspects included a humble attitude and the ability to deliver high-quality work (P6). It is crucial that they are provided with a special trainer who understands the challenges and trains them accordingly (P2), as it is more difficult to train specially-abled employees in the hotel industry as compared to others (P3). On the contrary, some participants indicated that the same methods should be integrated in training for all the employees irrespective of their Disability (P4). In work by Kalargyrou and Volis (2014), it is stated that specially-abled people take full responsibility for the work assigned to them and devote themselves to it in a complete manner. Furthermore, specially-abled employees have the characteristics of motivated staff that are not only dedicated but also devoted to their employer (Kalargyrou & Volis, 2014).
Skills – The skills of specially-abled people do not accurately match the requirements of the nature of employment, which makes it essential for the employer to provide them the training for the required skills. However, the participants highlighted that specially-abled people are more dependable compared to the employees with no disability (P7), and even the rate of absenteeism is lower among them (P8). In their work, Gupta and Ravindranath (2018) highlighted that human resources are responsible for managing specially-abled people in the workplace even if it requires them to arrange for skills training that can help the specially-abled employees grow and be ready for the future jobs and promotions. Thus, technical skills like the use of online apps and information systems, social skills, i.e., communicating with the guests as well as the team members, and soft skills for better time management, can be included by the human resources to promote better engagement and productivity among specially-abled people (Gupta & Ravindranath, 2018).
The structured questionnaire was sent to 500 managers of the FHRAI (Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Association of India) registered hotels in the NCR but the response rate was only 50 % and because of the online survey and the pandemic effect's on the hotel industry, among them twenty responses were incomplete. The information was collected from 230 departmental heads, out of which 215 were working at the five-star hotel and 15 were working in the four-star hotel. Most of the respondents were males (N=157), and only 73 were females. Maximum respondents fall in the category of those 19–25 years of age, followed by those 36–45, and then 46–55 years of age, as mentioned in Table 7:
Departmental Managers' Participant Details
| Variables | Categories | Frequency | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | 157 | 68.2 |
| Female | 73 | 31.7 | |
| Age | 19–25 Years | 104 | 45.2 |
| 26–35 Years | 61 | 26.5 | |
| 36–45 Years | 52 | 22.6 | |
| 46–55 Years | 11 | 4.7 | |
| 55 years and above | 2 | 0.86 | |
| Category of Hotel | Four-star hotel | 15 | 6.5 |
| Five star hotel | 215 | 93.5 | |
| Current job role | Manager | 124 | 53.91 |
| Director | 20 | 8.7 | |
| Others | 86 | 37.39 |
Source: Demographic profile of departmental managers'
Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to understand departmental managers' perceptions of employing specially-abled people. While employing factor analysis, the commonalities table revealed low factor loadings for the following three constructs: MP1 (0.154), MP 11 (0.477), and MP 19 (0.445). These three items were deleted to get better values of KMO, resulting in a better explanation of the variance in the factors. The values of KMO and Bartlett's Test (Table 8) confirmed that the data were fit for factor analysis. The KMO measure of sampling adequacy value was 0.849. For the suitability of the fit, it should be higher than 0.7. Bartlett's Test of Sphericity showed that the approximated chi-square value was 1607.318 with 171 degrees of freedom. EFA extracted four factors, as mentioned in table 9 below, and explained a 57.848 % variance.
Managers' Results from the KMO and Bartlett's Test
| Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) Measure of Sampling Adequacy | 0.849 | |
| Approx. Chi-Square | 1607.318 | |
| Bartlett's Test of Sphericity | Df | 171 |
| Sig. | 0 | |
Total Variance Explained
| Component | Initial Eigenvalues | Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings | Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % of Variance | Cumulative % | Total | % of Variance | Cumulative % | Total | % of Variance | Cumulative % | |
| 1 | 5.979 | 31.467 | 31.467 | 5.979 | 31.467 | 31.467 | 3.265 | 17.185 | 17.185 |
| 2 | 2.107 | 11.088 | 42.555 | 2.107 | 11.088 | 42.555 | 2.942 | 15.486 | 32.671 |
| 3 | 1.505 | 7.92 | 50.475 | 1.505 | 7.92 | 50.475 | 2.654 | 13.967 | 46.638 |
| 4 | 1.401 | 7.373 | 57.848 | 1.401 | 7.373 | 57.848 | 2.13 | 11.21 | 57.848 |
| 5 | 0.948 | 4.991 | 62.839 | ||||||
| 6 | 0.849 | 4.468 | 67.307 | ||||||
| 7 | 0.773 | 4.07 | 71.377 | ||||||
| 8 | 0.654 | 3.441 | 74.819 | ||||||
| 9 | 0.629 | 3.309 | 78.128 | ||||||
| 10 | 0.594 | 3.126 | 81.254 | ||||||
| 11 | 0.57 | 3 | 84.254 | ||||||
| 12 | 0.513 | 2.7 | 86.954 | ||||||
| 13 | 0.448 | 2.357 | 89.311 | ||||||
| 14 | 0.406 | 2.137 | 91.448 | ||||||
| 15 | 0.39 | 2.052 | 93.5 | ||||||
| 16 | 0.368 | 1.939 | 95.439 | ||||||
| 17 | 0.35 | 1.843 | 97.282 | ||||||
| 18 | 0.282 | 1.486 | 98.769 | ||||||
| 19 | 0.234 | 1.231 | 100 | ||||||
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
Source: EFA of departmental managers' perceptions
The total factors extracted were four, which accounted for 57.85% of variation, as shown in Table 9.
The rotated component matrix (Table 10) shows the factor loadings of each item, and these factors were then checked for reliability using Cronbach Alpha.
Rotation Component Matrix
| Component | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| MP22 | 0.696 | |||
| MP16 | 0.695 | |||
| MP21 | 0.661 | |||
| MP13 | 0.65 | |||
| MP14 | 0.601 | |||
| MP17 | 0.545 | |||
| MP10 | 0.523 | |||
| MP19 | 0.791 | |||
| MP20 | 0.782 | |||
| MP18 | 0.642 | |||
| MP6 | 0.537 | |||
| MP15 | 0.533 | |||
| MP8 | 0.761 | |||
| MP5 | 0.704 | |||
| MP12 | 0.702 | |||
| MP7 | 0.611 | |||
| MP2 | 0.819 | |||
| MP3 | 0.784 | |||
| MP4 | 0.538 | |||
Note: Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalisation.
a. Rotation converged in 12 iterations.
This could be further confirmed by the Scree plot (Figure 3) that confirmed that four factors have eigen values greater than one and that from the fifth factor onwards, all have given values less than one.
Scree Plot of Eigen Values for Factors of Departmental Mmanagers Perception
Source: Scree plot for departmental managers' perceptions
Reliability statistics for the four factors are shown in Table 11.
Reliability Analysis
| Factor | Statements | No of items | Cronbach Alpha |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factor 1 | MP2,MP3,MP4 | 3 | 0.697 |
| Factor 2 | MP7,5,8,12 | 4 | 0.763 |
| Factor 3 | MP6, MP15,MP18, MP19,MP20 | 5 | 0.782 |
| Factor 4 | MP10, MP13, MP14, MP16, MP17, MP21, MP22 | 7 | 0.801 |
Source: Factors for departmental managers' perceptions
The factors identified through the reliability statistics that dominate the perspective of the departmental managers toward employing the specially-abled people include the teamwork attitude and cost, training, characteristics, and skills.
Teamwork attitude and cost – The department managers across the hotels surveyed and analysed indicated that they would not feel awkward when working with people with disabilities. They also confirmed that specially-abled people could be employed equally with others with no disabilities and can be allowed to work on par with their colleagues (MP2). Rao and Polepeddi's (2019) work highlighted that an inclusive workforce is a possibility when specially-abled people are given an equal chance as people with no disabilities. The acceptance of specially-abled people as members of the team can boost overall team productivity. However, they would need closer supervision than employees with no disabilities (MP3), which can impact the overall outcomes of the team. Additionally, specially-abled employees require pick-up and drop facilities, special training, and take longer to perform the job, which increases operational costs; otherwise, they often become late for work (MP4) (Rao & Polepeddi, 2019).
Training – The opinion of the department managers regarding the training needs and provisions for specially-abled people resonated with that of the human resources, indicating that special training should be provided to specially-abled people to manage the requirements of the job. However, the need for special training increases the operational costs for the organisation (MP7). However, the fact that specially-abled people stay longer at a job compared to other employees with no disabilities (MP5) justifies the investment in their training. Therefore, different training methods can be employed to make specially-abled people proficient at their job (MP12). Rajamohan and Elango (2020) expressed in his work that specially-abled people can be empowered through adequate training that prepares them to perform as per the requirements of the job assigned to them (Rajamohan & Elango, 2020). The participants also expressed their intention to make reasonable accommodations for specially-abled employees (MP8) to help them adjust to their designated roles.
Characteristics – From the study results, it can be concluded that the specially-abled people require special attention from their co-workers (MP6), which is a dominating trait. They also require training according to their ability and the job that they have been assigned (MP15). The devotion and dependability of the specially-abled people are concluded to be higher than the employees with no disabilities (MP18). Grześkowiak et al. (2021) highlighted that the specially-abled people feel obliged to the organisations that offer them a job and therefore are more dedicated and loyal to their employer (MP20) than employees who have the freedom to explore different employment opportunities (Grześkowiak et al., 2021). Moreover, it is also concluded to be a profound characteristic of specially-abled people who are absent less than employees without disabilities (MP19). The department managers also believe that it is easy to depend on specially-abled employees rather than those with no disabilities.
Skills – Skills are one of the most critical aspects of performing a job. The departmental managers feel that specially-abled people need to have specific defined skills like communication, technical, and other soft skills to perform a job. A special trainer can be appointed to train them for the skills required on the job (MP13). However, it becomes necessary for the supervisors to give special attention to specially-abled employed even after they are provided with the required training (MP10). The discussion by Gupta and Ravindranath (2018) concluded that even specially-abled people are required to communicate and socialise with the team members and the guests, which is why they must have the defined skills (MP21) (Gupta & Ravindranath, 2018). As all employees require these skills within the organisation, the departmental managers support the idea of using the same methods to train all the employees (MP14). Similarly, the management at the workplace can make it necessary for them to have some technical knowledge (MP22). To make it an inclusive workplace, the departmental managers can introduce training programs that help specially-abled people to learn and acquire the necessary skills. Specially-abled people are identified as more loyal (MP16) and humble, producing higher quality work compared to the other employees (MP17). Similar findings are observed in a study of the Indian retail market employing specially-abled employees (Trust for Retailers & Retail Associates of India, 2019).
The chi-square test used to check the managerial attitudes. In this case, the Pearson chi-square value is 418.404 for HR Managers' and 1607.318 for departmental managers. The association among the two variables is statistically confirmed as significant if Asymptotic Significance (2-sided) is equal to or less than designated alpha (p) value (normally 0.05) and that is clearly visible in the case here. The p value under the - that is the short form of probability. The probability is the outcome of our observed sample in case variables are independent of the total population (Biau et al., 2010). The Null hypothesis was rejected on the basis of the above-mentioned results.
The study reveals the three principal objectives of the study: (i) To explore the current practices adopted by premium hotels in employing specially-abled people; (ii) To examine the perceptions of the human resources department managers and other departmental managers about employing, training, and developing specially-abled people; and (iii) to identify in what ways the employment in a four-star or five-star hotel would impact the lives of (Specially-Abled People) in both economic and non-economic aspects. Several implications could be obtained from the qualitative and quantitative analysis results. Finally, the obtained inferences are concluded.
It was found that the front office of the studied hotels had a minimum number of specially-abled workers as employees witnessed the preference of these hotels to place specially-abled people in ancillary departments. They are given cross-functional training, which includes crisis management, operations, personal development, and allied departmental training modules. And their mode of training includes classroom lectures, demonstrations, on-the-job training, and role-plays. Moreover, some hotels allocate a particular budget for recruiting and training specially-abled people, while others do not have any such allocation in their budget. The findings of Vasanthi and Basariya (2018) revealed that cross-training makes an employee multi-skilled by increasing their communication skills and helping them learn considerable technical skills that boost their confidence levels. Thus, cross-training is required, particularly in the modern scenario, as it enhances employee performance and organisational success by increasing team performance and employee efficiency levels (Vasanthi & Basariya, 2018). Such a feature would increase the independence of specially-abled people. These results from the literature confirm the research findings.
The human resource managers perceived three essential factors in employing specially-abled people, which include (i) characteristics, (ii) skills, and (iii) training. The identified results denote that the Human Resource Department managers considered figuring out the necessary characteristics of the specially-abled people to be the central aspect of the recruiting process. They revealed that these people must also have a humble attitude, and that managers must confirm whether they have the interest and ability to produce quality work. However, the respondents felt that specially-abled people depend on and expect much social support. In many cases, the managers did not find a suitable skill-set to match specially-abled people with the job requirements. Since it is necessary to get the work done efficiently, it is necessary to provide them with the training required to execute the work. These results are supported by the findings of Gupta and Ravindranath (2018), which revealed that optimal performance of specially-able people is possible by employing innovative human resources practices that ensure proper training of specially-abled people according to the latest technology with proper tools (Gupta & Ravindranath, 2018). They also added that by training, the newcomers and even specially-abled people, they gain confidence, and usually socialise like employees without disabilities and work wholeheartedly in a ‘family-like’ work climate. Hence, the results are consistent with the previous findings, and the perceptions of the human resources department managers are found to be true.
The department managers perceived four important features pertinent to the employment of specially-abled people, which included (i) characteristics, (ii) skills, (iii) teamwork attitude and cost, and (iv) training. In addition to the characteristics, skills, and training identified as important employment aspects by the human resources department managers, the department managers add one more feature to it, which is the attitude of specially-abled people when workign in a team and the cost associated with employing them. In this regard, they pointed out that they have no different attitudes when coming across specially-abled people within a team of multiple professionals and believe they are employable in equal numbers like those of professionals without disabilities. However, the participants also pointed out some negative things associated with doing so. Specially-abled people require special training in challenging tasks and may require a pick-up and drop-off facility from the hotels. Specially-abled people's lack of professional training emerged as the main hindrance in their employment, which was also evident in other studies (Azlan & Rashid, 2013). Additionally, they require more time than others, increasing operational costs. Specially-abled people's allocation of departments should be according to their abilities and not their disabilities. They should be comfortable in their work department and not a burden. These outcomes are constant with the findings of Rao and Polepeddi (2019), which state that organisations must assess the fit of specially-abled people with the organisational roles by targeting their abilities and not their disabilities (Rao & Polepeddi, 2019). In fact, by doing so, an inclusive employment culture could be promoted, and the deficiency of skilled employees in the hotel industry can be managed since everyone possesses different strengths and abilities accordingly (Azlan & Rashid, 2013). Though there is additional pressure and an extra cost incurred in including specially-abled people in teamwork, it is factual that the returns to the organisations are enormous.
The participants' major words were ‘family support,’ ‘employer benefits,’ ‘special UID card,’ and ‘awareness about RPWD act.’ These indicate the perceived importance of these four factors in the lives of Specially-Abled People. Support from family members always encourages any person, and Shah (2010) propounded that family shaped the minds and hearts of the people by shaping the human perceptions concerning career choices through advice, expectations, and support (Shah, 2010). Lack of awareness of the RPWD Act among specially-abled people results in not availing the benefits or rights awarded to them, as evident in the findings of Kaur (2017) and Robins et al. (2006).
The identified categories under this theme include awareness about different laws and organisations concerning disability like RPWD Act- 2016, NCPEDP. Awareness of the Disability Act is required to make their life more impactful and positive. The findings of the study by Robins et al. (2006) denoted that the awareness among disabled women was deficient, and disabled students in high school have less knowledge about educational allowances, scholarship schemes, and unemployment allowances. Due to the ignorance of specially-abled people's human rights, they often experience worse living conditions (Kaur, 2017). These proofs support the result that the awareness of Disability Act is essential to eliminate the adversities faced by specially-abled people and enhance their standard of living. Thus, in the study, respondents are aware of the RPWD Act and have improved their life by working in reputed hotels.
The three economic parameters identified from the interview responses include ‘financial risk protection,’ ‘equal pay for work for equal value and economic security,’ and ‘access to health needs.’ Specially-abled people perceive that getting incentives from the government and availing ESI and PF from employers protect them against any financial risks. Moreover, they felt pay equity and promotion were prominent components of being treated economically equally. Also, they stated that getting insurance would help them access all their health needs. National Planning Commission and the Government of India (2013) ascertained that several special aids to specially-abled people would help them lead an everyday purposeful life, and government incentives like free vocational training would make them independent in employment and trade ventures (Ahmad, 2015). Also, Verick (2021) confirmed that financial incentives would reduce the unemployment rate. However, they would not bring a long-term impact on people with severe disabilities. Therefore, this necessitates different incentives for specially-abled people that must be unique and relevant to the kind of disability they face. This economy supports the prevalence of insurance and promotion given to specially-abled people subject to the kind of disability and the department in which they work (Verick, 2021). Furthermore, James et al. (2019) identified health insurance as a promising strategy for overcoming their burden, but considerable awareness must be raised about the availability of health insurance schemes to make it easily accessible to the beneficiary (James et al., 2019). Besides, Kennedy et al. (2017) identified that people with disabilities earn much below the poverty level but have three to seven times higher health needs, so high insurance coverage would serve their health requirements (Kennedy et al., 2017). Hence, the evidence from the literature supports specially-abled people's arguments.
The main categories attributed to this theme are ‘individual well-being,’ ‘help from society,’ ‘personal security, and ‘recognition.’ Among the three themes, the non-economic parameters have more categories indicating specially-abled people's tendency to cling to the non-monetary benefits and their expectation connected more to support and concern. They felt things that would encourage their working ability and well-being includes family support, flexible timings, and co-employee support. They also expect society to help them get employment, such as getting employed through NGOs. Indeed, specially-abled people believed that permanent employment would keep them personally secured (Baby & Mavoothu, 2019). Additionally, they wished to get recognised by getting a special UID card. Family plays an indispensable role in empowering specially-abled people and Shah (2010) confirmed families as important social structures shaping the aspirations of children (Shah, 2010). Therefore, the contribution of families and families could help specially-abled people participate in the functioning of mainstream society.
The majority of the participants were from five-star hotels and four-star hotels in India rather than all category hotels. The responses dominantly reflected the opinions of the respondents belonging to these five- and four-star hotels only. This study was conducted only in the NCR. There was limited reach to the hotel premises, and most of the data were collected through an online mode only. The hotel industry in India should have a fixed percentage for the employment of specially-abled people in their establishments. Managers should have a training session on the deployment of this unique workforce. The research results for teaching and training of specially-abled people in the hotel schools of India, both government and private, is negligible. Most of the reserved seats remain vacant. Hotel schools should have more vocational courses in consultation with the industry to minimise the skill gap of specially-abled people and make them more employable.