Opportunities and challenges with neurological diversity in manufacturing companies: Development and adaptation of human resource management for neurodiverse work places

Research problem and specific questionsNeurodiversity is defined as deviation of neurocognitive abilities such as autism and ADHD. There is an increased interest in how HRM can be used to facilitate, for example, gender-based and cultural diversity. However, HRM research in neurological diversity is almost non-existent.

The purpose of the project is to contribute knowledge on how manufacturing firms are addressing and can address opportunities and challenges associated with neurological diversity in their HRM-practices.

Data and method The project will have a qualitative approach and the main source of data will be HR managers and HRM practices in medium-sized and large manufacturing companies.

By combining research on neurodiversity in related fields with inductively co-created research, new knowledge on how HRM can be used to promote as well as to realize the potential of neurological diversity will be developed.Societal relevance and utilizationMore than 15 percent of the population is estimated to have some type of neurodiversity and the unemployment in this group is eight times higher than for individuals without neurodiversity.

Thus, it is important to develop HRM practices that can support individuals with neurodiversity in the working life.

Moreover, neurological diversity can constitute an important competitive advantage by generating increases in innovation as well as in productivity. Thus, focusing on neurological diversity can result in a win-win for employees and companies.

Plan for project realizationThe project will be a three-year project and involve a professor and a PhD student, which will be recruited for the project.

Initially the project will have an inductive approach by developing a preliminary HRM-model for neurological diversity and by inductively conducting interviews with HR-managers on their perceptions and experiences of neurological diversity.

After this, the focus will be on developing HRM-practices, adjusted to the conditions of Swedish manufacturing companies, in order to promote, as well as to realize the advantages, of neurological diversity.