{"id":{"repo_id":"de-montfort","oai_identifier":"oai:dora.dmu.ac.uk:2086/25125"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/de-montfort/oai:dora.dmu.ac.uk:2086/25125","repository":{"repo_id":"de-montfort","name":"De Montfort University","base_url":"https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Disability Inclusion in Nigeria: Influence of Culture and Discourse on Hiring and Provision of reasonable Accommodation for People with Disabilities in MNCs","abstract":"This research examines how local culture and discourse influence the inclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) within an American multinational company (MNC) operating in Nigeria. Scholars recognise that while PWDs constitute the world's largest minority group, their participation in society remains limited due to normative beliefs embedded in discourse, often portraying them as less capable than able-bodied individuals. This underrepresentation is particularly evident in the workplace, where research indicates that a significant proportion of working-age PWDs, especially in developing countries and, by extension, Sub-Saharan Africa, where disability-related discourse is deeply entrenched, remain unemployed. Existing studies have explored the role of culture and discourse in shaping workplace inclusion, highlighting their impact in limiting employment opportunities for PWDs. Some have extended this focus to MNCs, acknowledging their pivotal role in driving global change and advancing disability rights. However, most of this research is concentrated in Western contexts, with limited studies examining how MNCs, particularly Americans, integrate PWDs into their Nigerian operations. To address this gap, this study investigates how local culture and discourse shape the extent to which a subsidiary of an American MNC in Nigeria is willing to hire PWDs and provide them with reasonable accommodations. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 31 participants, including 15 employees from MultiCo and 16 members of a disability association, both situated in two different states within Nigeria's south-western region, predominantly inhabited by the Yoruba people. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling methods was used to select participants. For the MNC, nine participants, primarily senior and middle-level managers with extensive recruitment experience, were recruited through purposive sampling, while an additional six participants were recruited using snowball sampling. For the disability association, all participants were selected through purposive sampling. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings highlight: 1) the influence of local culture and discourse on the decisions of MultiCo’s managers regarding the hiring of PWDs. It emphasised the significant role of normative pressures in shaping perceptions and attitudes toward disability, where deeply ingrained societal beliefs subtly affect managers' hiring decisions. 2) this influence of local culture and discourse, in turn, impacts the provision of reasonable accommodations within the subsidiary. Since MultiCo is hesitant to hire individuals with disabilities who may require such accommodations to perform their duties effectively, the need to provide them is seen as unnecessary. 3) this attitude circumvents the coercive pressure from the Disability Discrimination Act (2018), which mandates that all public offices be accessible to PWDs. The limited representation of PWDs and the scarcity of reasonable accommodations within the subsidiary were linked to mimetic pressure, as MultiCo adopted local practices to maintain legitimacy. By granting the subsidiary a degree of autonomy, the parent company exercised limited oversight, further reinforcing these practices. The research has made several contributions. Theoretically, drawing on critical discourse analysis and institutional theory, it highlights how discourse-driven normative pressures shape socially constructed norms that influence institutional practices, significantly affecting managers' attitudes and behaviours toward the inclusion of PWDs within MultiCo. However, the coercive pressure exerted by government disability regulations remains weak due to an inherently fragile regulatory framework, limiting its effectiveness in challenging exclusionary practices. Empirically, this research represents the first explicit attempt to critically examine the inclusion of PWDs in an MNC’s subsidiary in Nigeria, focusing on how local culture and discourse influence hiring practices and the provision of accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Finally, the research offers several practical implications for consideration.","abstract_html":"This research examines how local culture and discourse influence the inclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) within an American multinational company (MNC) operating in Nigeria. Scholars recognise that while PWDs constitute the world's largest minority group, their participation in society remains limited due to normative beliefs embedded in discourse, often portraying them as less capable than able-bodied individuals. This underrepresentation is particularly evident in the workplace, where research indicates that a significant proportion of working-age PWDs, especially in developing countries and, by extension, Sub-Saharan Africa, where disability-related discourse is deeply entrenched, remain unemployed. Existing studies have explored the role of culture and discourse in shaping workplace inclusion, highlighting their impact in limiting employment opportunities for PWDs. Some have extended this focus to MNCs, acknowledging their pivotal role in driving global change and advancing disability rights. However, most of this research is concentrated in Western contexts, with limited studies examining how MNCs, particularly Americans, integrate PWDs into their Nigerian operations. To address this gap, this study investigates how local culture and discourse shape the extent to which a subsidiary of an American MNC in Nigeria is willing to hire PWDs and provide them with reasonable accommodations. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 31 participants, including 15 employees from MultiCo and 16 members of a disability association, both situated in two different states within Nigeria's south-western region, predominantly inhabited by the Yoruba people. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling methods was used to select participants. For the MNC, nine participants, primarily senior and middle-level managers with extensive recruitment experience, were recruited through purposive sampling, while an additional six participants were recruited using snowball sampling. For the disability association, all participants were selected through purposive sampling. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings highlight: 1) the influence of local culture and discourse on the decisions of MultiCo’s managers regarding the hiring of PWDs. It emphasised the significant role of normative pressures in shaping perceptions and attitudes toward disability, where deeply ingrained societal beliefs subtly affect managers' hiring decisions. 2) this influence of local culture and discourse, in turn, impacts the provision of reasonable accommodations within the subsidiary. Since MultiCo is hesitant to hire individuals with disabilities who may require such accommodations to perform their duties effectively, the need to provide them is seen as unnecessary. 3) this attitude circumvents the coercive pressure from the Disability Discrimination Act (2018), which mandates that all public offices be accessible to PWDs. The limited representation of PWDs and the scarcity of reasonable accommodations within the subsidiary were linked to mimetic pressure, as MultiCo adopted local practices to maintain legitimacy. By granting the subsidiary a degree of autonomy, the parent company exercised limited oversight, further reinforcing these practices. The research has made several contributions. Theoretically, drawing on critical discourse analysis and institutional theory, it highlights how discourse-driven normative pressures shape socially constructed norms that influence institutional practices, significantly affecting managers' attitudes and behaviours toward the inclusion of PWDs within MultiCo. However, the coercive pressure exerted by government disability regulations remains weak due to an inherently fragile regulatory framework, limiting its effectiveness in challenging exclusionary practices. Empirically, this research represents the first explicit attempt to critically examine the inclusion of PWDs in an MNC’s subsidiary in Nigeria, focusing on how local culture and discourse influence hiring practices and the provision of accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Finally, the research offers several practical implications for consideration.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Onah, Godspower"],"institution":"De Montfort University","degree_name":"PhD","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-08","date_published":"2024-08","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:18:47Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/1c01cbdf-81bc-42c7-95af-e22369f4c5e3/download"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Onah, Godspower"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2024-08"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Faculty of Business and Law"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["De Montfort University"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2086/25125"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis or dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["PhD"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/1c01cbdf-81bc-42c7-95af-e22369f4c5e3/download"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/7706627d-2bbe-4a07-8afa-1607e6b74f92/download"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This research examines how local culture and discourse influence the inclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) within an American multinational company (MNC) operating in Nigeria. Scholars recognise that while PWDs constitute the world's largest minority group, their participation in society remains limited due to normative beliefs embedded in discourse, often portraying them as less capable than able-bodied individuals. This underrepresentation is particularly evident in the workplace, where research indicates that a significant proportion of working-age PWDs, especially in developing countries and, by extension, Sub-Saharan Africa, where disability-related discourse is deeply entrenched, remain unemployed. Existing studies have explored the role of culture and discourse in shaping workplace inclusion, highlighting their impact in limiting employment opportunities for PWDs. Some have extended this focus to MNCs, acknowledging their pivotal role in driving global change and advancing disability rights. However, most of this research is concentrated in Western contexts, with limited studies examining how MNCs, particularly Americans, integrate PWDs into their Nigerian operations. To address this gap, this study investigates how local culture and discourse shape the extent to which a subsidiary of an American MNC in Nigeria is willing to hire PWDs and provide them with reasonable accommodations. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 31 participants, including 15 employees from MultiCo and 16 members of a disability association, both situated in two different states within Nigeria's south-western region, predominantly inhabited by the Yoruba people. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling methods was used to select participants. For the MNC, nine participants, primarily senior and middle-level managers with extensive recruitment experience, were recruited through purposive sampling, while an additional six participants were recruited using snowball sampling. For the disability association, all participants were selected through purposive sampling. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings highlight: 1) the influence of local culture and discourse on the decisions of MultiCo’s managers regarding the hiring of PWDs. It emphasised the significant role of normative pressures in shaping perceptions and attitudes toward disability, where deeply ingrained societal beliefs subtly affect managers' hiring decisions. 2) this influence of local culture and discourse, in turn, impacts the provision of reasonable accommodations within the subsidiary. Since MultiCo is hesitant to hire individuals with disabilities who may require such accommodations to perform their duties effectively, the need to provide them is seen as unnecessary. 3) this attitude circumvents the coercive pressure from the Disability Discrimination Act (2018), which mandates that all public offices be accessible to PWDs. The limited representation of PWDs and the scarcity of reasonable accommodations within the subsidiary were linked to mimetic pressure, as MultiCo adopted local practices to maintain legitimacy. By granting the subsidiary a degree of autonomy, the parent company exercised limited oversight, further reinforcing these practices. The research has made several contributions. Theoretically, drawing on critical discourse analysis and institutional theory, it highlights how discourse-driven normative pressures shape socially constructed norms that influence institutional practices, significantly affecting managers' attitudes and behaviours toward the inclusion of PWDs within MultiCo. However, the coercive pressure exerted by government disability regulations remains weak due to an inherently fragile regulatory framework, limiting its effectiveness in challenging exclusionary practices. Empirically, this research represents the first explicit attempt to critically examine the inclusion of PWDs in an MNC’s subsidiary in Nigeria, focusing on how local culture and discourse influence hiring practices and the provision of accommodations for individuals with disabilities. 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However, most of this research is concentrated in Western contexts, with limited studies examining how MNCs, particularly Americans, integrate PWDs into their Nigerian operations. To address this gap, this study investigates how local culture and discourse shape the extent to which a subsidiary of an American MNC in Nigeria is willing to hire PWDs and provide them with reasonable accommodations. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 31 participants, including 15 employees from MultiCo and 16 members of a disability association, both situated in two different states within Nigeria's south-western region, predominantly inhabited by the Yoruba people. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling methods was used to select participants. For the MNC, nine participants, primarily senior and middle-level managers with extensive recruitment experience, were recruited through purposive sampling, while an additional six participants were recruited using snowball sampling. For the disability association, all participants were selected through purposive sampling. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings highlight: 1) the influence of local culture and discourse on the decisions of MultiCo’s managers regarding the hiring of PWDs. It emphasised the significant role of normative pressures in shaping perceptions and attitudes toward disability, where deeply ingrained societal beliefs subtly affect managers' hiring decisions. 2) this influence of local culture and discourse, in turn, impacts the provision of reasonable accommodations within the subsidiary. Since MultiCo is hesitant to hire individuals with disabilities who may require such accommodations to perform their duties effectively, the need to provide them is seen as unnecessary. 3) this attitude circumvents the coercive pressure from the Disability Discrimination Act (2018), which mandates that all public offices be accessible to PWDs. The limited representation of PWDs and the scarcity of reasonable accommodations within the subsidiary were linked to mimetic pressure, as MultiCo adopted local practices to maintain legitimacy. By granting the subsidiary a degree of autonomy, the parent company exercised limited oversight, further reinforcing these practices. The research has made several contributions. Theoretically, drawing on critical discourse analysis and institutional theory, it highlights how discourse-driven normative pressures shape socially constructed norms that influence institutional practices, significantly affecting managers' attitudes and behaviours toward the inclusion of PWDs within MultiCo. However, the coercive pressure exerted by government disability regulations remains weak due to an inherently fragile regulatory framework, limiting its effectiveness in challenging exclusionary practices. Empirically, this research represents the first explicit attempt to critically examine the inclusion of PWDs in an MNC’s subsidiary in Nigeria, focusing on how local culture and discourse influence hiring practices and the provision of accommodations for individuals with disabilities. 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