Beyond Inclusion: How People with Disabilities are Involved in Business

Abstract

This article provides a theoretical reflection on the employment of persons with disabilities (PwD) in the corporate sector, examining it as a managed process aimed at creating value within the reproductive mechanisms of the economy. It provides a critical review of the main academic approaches to PwD employment, such as neoclassical economics, strategic management, human capital theory, disability studies, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) frameworks. The analysis reveals that most of these approaches tend to frame PwD employment as either a social justice issue or an additional cost, overlooking its managerial potential. Instead, the article proposes shifting the focus from the individual worker to their labour as a productive resource integrated into the value creation chain. This analytical perspective provides a more clearer understanding of economic participation and helps to overcome the fragmentation of existing models by extending the management discourse on inclusion beyond normative commitments. A conceptual framework for managing PwD labour engagement (LWE) has been developed, grounded in systems analysis, socio-­economic theory, and the reproduction paradigm. The article proposes a multilevel governance model incorporating macro, meso, and micro levels of decision-­making and coordination. It identifies key methodological limitations, including misalignment between governance levels, disciplinary asymmetries, neglecting labour as an analytical category, and insufficient operationalization of inclusion and effectiveness. Particular attention is paid to institutional dysfunctions arising from the transplantation of formal institutional models into the specific context of the Russian economy. The article concludes by outlining future research directions, such as building input–output models to assess the effectiveness of LWE, formalizing managerial dilemmas through game theory instruments, and developing categorical models based on theories of social exchange. This research is intended for scholars in the fields of labour sociology, disability economics, organizational behaviour, and public management, as well as practitioners seeking to develop sustainable, context-­sensitive corporate inclusion strategies.