Abstract
This study measured the quality of life, job satisfaction, functional ability, and job performance of 40 people with developmental disabilities receiving supported employment services from a north Florida provider. Quality of life and job satisfaction were assessed via interviews with supported employees, using the Quality of Life Questionnaire (QOL.Q; Schalock & Keith, 1993a) and the Job Descriptive Index (JDI; Smith, Kendall, & Hulin, 1997), including the Job in General (JIG) scale, respectively. Functional ability and job performance of supported employees were assessed by employment consultants (ECs), who completed the Functional Assessment Inventory (FAI; Crewe & Athelstan, 1981) and the Job Observation and Behavior Scale (JOBS; Rosenberg & Brady, 2000a).
Results of Spearman rank order correlations indicated a significant relationship between overall quality of life and general job satisfaction. Further, significant correlations between the competence/productivity subscale of the QOL.Q and certain aspects of the job (JDI), specifically, work, pay, and supervision were found. Results of Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests of two independent samples according to high and low functional ability revealed a significant difference between groups on quality of job performance, while no significant difference between groups on type of job support or overall quality of life was found. Examination of median scores of job performance, however, revealed that despite functional ability group differences, the majority of supported employees achieved average job performance with intermittent support, when compared to workers who weren’t receiving support and performing the same competitive jobs. Implications for future practice, personnel preparation, policy, and research are suggested.
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