What factors influence the career ambitions of people with disabilities?

Employees with disabilities are currently underrepresented in such jobs. Only 23 per cent of these employees have taken on managerial responsibility in comparison to 31 per cent of employees without any disabilities. Thus, this study examines if the career ambitions of employees with and without disabilities differ and whether inclusion policies by human resource management can paving the path into management positions for those with disabilities.

In general, the empirical analysis based on the IW Employee Survey 2023 does not indicate any causalities. The estimations, however, reveal that there are hardly any differences between employees with and without disabilities when the potential impact of various variables is analysed. Part-time employment, for example, is significantly more frequently associated with lower career ambitions in both groups. However, employees with disabilities work part-time more frequently which may be due to restrictions linked to being disabled. Nonetheless, if companies consider these employees to be suitable for taking on managerial tasks because of their skills and experience, they should unbiasedly check the reasons why part-time employment is deemed not suitable for performing as a manager or entering rank-order-tournaments.

Ambitious employees with disabilities are more likely to be concerned that they cannot manage their workload. If a company deems these employees suitable for performing managerial tasks, a risk exists that, due to the experienced stress, appropriate candidates may ultimately withdraw from applying for management positions. While inclusion policies can strengthen the ambition of these candidates, they should not infringe on the functional logic of rank-order-tournaments as part of the company’s incentive and performance system.