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Title: Person-Organization Fit and Autism in the Workplace

Authors: Sacha Pencene; Daniel J. Svyantek

Addresses: Author address listing can be found in the "About the Authors" section at the end of the article.

Abstract: Social interactions and social contexts are a particularly relevant and problematic issue for those with autism. The impact of the behavior of an individual with autism cannot be understood without understanding the organizational context in which he/she resides. Workplace cultures differ greatly and behaviors which are problematic in one organizational culture may be acceptable in another organizational culture. The organizational construct, person-organization fit (PO), provides a framework for understanding how social interactions may affect those with autism in the workplace. This paper will do this by a) describing the social interaction patterns of those with autism; b) describing organizational culture as a social environment and how PO fit operates to affect the performance of those within an organization; c) using the construct of PO fit to contextualize the social interactions of those with autism in a workplace; and d) discussing the human resource and legal implications for dealing with autism in the workplace.

Keywords: Person-organization fit; autism in the workplace; social interactions; organizational culture; workplace behavior.

DOI: 10.1504/JBM.2016.141239

Journal of Business and Management, 2016 Vol.22 No.1, pp.117 - 133

Published online: 05 Sep 2024 *