A meta-analysis of experimental studies on the effects of disability on human resource judgments

More and more attention has been given to workplace discrimination against people with disabilities, and many researchers have conducted research on this topic. However, the existing results from these studies are ambiguous and mixed. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to examine and elucidate the pattern underlying this ambiguity. Twenty three published articles and eight unpublished theses and dissertations were included in this meta-analysis. We assessed the main effects of disability on human resource (HR) judgments (i.e., hiring decision, performance expectation, and performance evaluation). The moderating effects of types of disability, sex of the target, and study settings were also examined. Results demonstrated that these characteristics did produce moderating effects for HR judgments. Future research and implications are discussed.