Exploring the job demands experienced by employees with hearing impairment in South Africa

Abstract

Orientation: South Africa’s employment equity agenda towards persons with disabilities requires more insight to develop polices and standards of practice.

Research purpose: This study sought to inductively inquire about job characteristics that employees with hearing impairment (EwHIs) experience as job demands.

Motivation for the study: Scholarly research regarding job demands experienced by EwHIs is underrepresented in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and specifically on the African continent. Therefore, this study aimed to address this gap in literature within the South African context.

Research approach/design and method: An exploratory, qualitative research approach was used. Social constructivism served as the paradigm. The approach was complemented by a descriptive phenomenological design aimed at deeply understanding the job demands of EwHIs within South Africa Purposive sampling was used to identify 14 respondents. Data were collected by using open-ended deaf-accessible questionnaires. Inductive qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data.

Main findings: Communication demands and environmental stimuli demands emerged as unique job demands experienced by EwHIs. These job demands were not previously listed in the literature.

Practical/managerial implications: The findings of this study have implications for policy, practice and decision-making. The implications relate to overcoming communication and task barriers as well as minimising task orientation variance experienced by EwHIs.

Contribution/value-add: Unlisted themes of job demands that apply to EwHIs in South Africa were discovered. The improved understanding of these job demands contributes to the body of knowledge on both the theory of job demands and managing the work environments of EwHIs.