Beyond employment: how Russian companies engage with disability inclusion

Purpose The paper aims to investigate disability management in Russian business (in 2021–2022) to promote new diversity strategies. It proposes a typology of approaches in the field of inclusion of people with disabilities (PWD) in Russian companies. This study aims to expand the range of studies on the inclusion of PWD beyond Anglo-Saxon and Western European countries. Design/methodology/approach The units of analysis were non-financial reports of twenty organizations with the highest score as of October 2023, according to the RAEX environment, social, governance (ESG) ranking: ten companies from the B2C sector and ten from the B2B sector. The research method is interpretive content analysis. The approach to analysing the content of reports was to interpret keywords and phrases, as well as text structure. Findings Going beyond the context of employment issues, a variety of approaches to improving the position of PWD in society have been identified. The paper provides empirical insights into what types of disability inclusion practices are dominant in the Russian market. It suggests that a company’s inclusiveness can be assessed based on internal and external practices separately. Practical implications This typology can serve as a foundation for advancing theoretical development in the subject and as a guide for business practitioners seeking to determine their position in the inclusion agenda and identify potential paths for implementing changes in their practices. Originality/value This paper fulfils an identified need to study disability management beyond Western countries and adds new data to the disability inclusion theory.