Changes in the Workplace of a Small-to-Medium Enterprise After Introducing the Ultra-Short-Time Employment Model: Single-Case Stakeholder Interviews

Background Inclusive employment for people with disabilities requires directly integrating new options into the core of those systems. Objective This single-case study reports the implementation of the “ultra-short-time employment model” under Japanese employment practices for people with disabilities to understand the process of majority-group acculturation in the workplace, where a socialized employment culture is dominant. Method Seven interviews—with employers, co-workers, workers employed through the program, and supporters—were thematically analyzed. Results The model enabled employers to address business challenges, while fostering understanding and empathy toward individuals with disabilities in the workplace. Conversely, new employers’ worker evaluation standards for the model reverted to attitudes underlying original employment practices. It was suggested that viewing this phenomenon through the lens of majority-group acculturation might help explain the “swing-back” effect that occurred during the transition from the initial introduction of the ultra-short-time employment model—which may be interpreted as a form of cultural appropriation—to genuine cultural adoption. Conclusion How this swing-back effect is handled may be significant at the crossroads determining whether a majority-group adopts an integration or separation strategy. However, it should be noted that this is a single-case report, and further research through multiple studies is necessary.