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Cited by 21Disability Education and EmploymentDisability Rights and RepresentationGender Diversity and Inequality

Neuronormativity as ignorant design in human resource management: the case of an unsupportive national context

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Erbil, Cihat, Özbilgin, Mustafa F., Gündoğdu, Nur·2025·Human Resource Management Journal
DOI 10.1111/1748-8583.12573
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Abstract

Abstract Neurodiversity refers to differences in how people's brains work. Reportedly, human resource functions lag behind scientific developments in offering inclusive design for neurodivergent individuals. Drawing on the sociology of ignorance, we examine mechanisms and forms of ignorant design based on a qualitative study with 20 HR professionals in a country with an unsupportive context for neurodivergence. We expand the literature on an ignorant design by identifying three mechanisms and seven forms of ignorance that shape neuronormative HR policies and practices, revealing that HR practices often marginalise neurodivergent individuals by not recognising their contributions, enforcing neurotypical standards, and maintaining a superficial approach to inclusion. Our findings underscore the need for substantial changes in HR policies and practices, such as involving neurodivergent individuals in policy design, providing comprehensive neurodiversity training for HR professionals, and adopting evidence‐based and inclusive HR strategies. Further, a supportive national context is invaluable for neuroinclusion.

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  • Individually negotiated adjustment approaches often operate within organisational conditions underpinned by neuro-normative expectations and work environments not always aligned with differences in how autistic people think, process information, or communicate.

    “they often operate within organisational conditions underpinned by neuro-normative expectations and work environments not always aligned with differences in how autistic people think, process information, or communicate (Erbil et al., 2024; Özbilgin et al., 2025)”

    From The system-level organisational design framework: a neuro-cognitive trait interaction approach to workplace inclusion for autistic people (2026) · cites this paper as Erbil et al., 2024

    The Introduction describes organisational HR practices shaped by neuronormativity, and §6.1.2 says accommodation decisions can reinforce an environment that judges neurodivergent people against neurotypical standards. The paper supports the claim about organisational conditions, but these passages do not specifically examine individually negotiated adjustments or the stated differences in autistic thinking, information processing, and communication. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • Adjustment-led approaches, when unaccompanied by wider organisational change, may leave support inconsistently implemented and misaligned with processing and communication needs.

    “Consequently, adjustment-led approaches, when unaccompanied by wider organisational change, may require autistic employees to navigate systems not designed for cognitive variation, while support remains inconsistently implemented and misaligned with processing and communication needs (Erbil et al., 2024; Raymaker et al., 2022).”

    From The system-level organisational design framework: a neuro-cognitive trait interaction approach to workplace inclusion for autistic people (2026) · cites this paper as Erbil et al., 2024

    Section 6.3.2 says compliance-driven and superficial inclusion policies can fail to produce broader organisational change, while Section 3 describes HR practices that retain neurotypical expectations. The paper supports that general concern, but the passages do not establish that adjustment-led support is inconsistently implemented or specifically misaligned with autistic employees’ processing and communication needs. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Workplace practices often remain oriented towards normative expectations surrounding communication, behavior, and participation in work.

    “workplace practices often remain oriented towards normative expectations surrounding communication, behavior, and participation in work (Kapp et al., 2019; Erbil et al., 2024)”

    From The system-level organisational design framework: a neuro-cognitive trait interaction approach to workplace inclusion for autistic people (2026) · cites this paper as Erbil et al., 2024

  • Adjustment-led approaches, when unaccompanied by wider organisational change, may require autistic employees to navigate systems not designed for cognitive variation.

    “Consequently, adjustment-led approaches, when unaccompanied by wider organisational change, may require autistic employees to navigate systems not designed for cognitive variation, while support remains inconsistently implemented and misaligned with processing and communication needs (Erbil et al., 2024; Raymaker et al., 2022).”

    From The system-level organisational design framework: a neuro-cognitive trait interaction approach to workplace inclusion for autistic people (2026) · cites this paper as Erbil et al., 2024

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Research works printed but not linked: 12

  1. Ari, İ. Y. (2021). İşverenin Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu olan İşçilere Karşı Borçlarının Değerlendirilmesi. Disiplinlerarası Yenilik Araştırmaları Dergisi, 1(2), 163-168.
  2. Bal, M., Brookes, A., Hack-Polay, D., Kordowicz, M., & Mendy, J. (2022). From Hypernormalization of workplace inequality to Dehumanization: A way out for human resource management. In The Absurd workplace: How Absurdity is Normalized in contemporary society and the workplace (pp. 79-115). Springer International Publishing.
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  9. Patton, E. (2019). Autism, attributions and accommodations: Overcoming barriers and integrating a neurodiverse work- force. Personnel Review, 48(4), 915-934. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-04-2018-0116 · DOI
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  12. Ünal, B. (2018). The development of disability pride through challenging internalized idealist and ableist norms in Turkish society: A grounded theory study [Doctoral thesis. Middle East Technical University. Retrieved from https://open.metu.edu.tr/ handle/11511/27095

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Authors
Erbil, C., Özbilgin, M. F., & Gündoğdu, N.
Affiliations
  • Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University (TR)
  • Brunel University of London (GB)
  • University of Birmingham (GB)
Corresponding author
Özbilgin, Mustafa F.
ORCID
Venue
Human Resource Management Journal
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2024-09-12
Volume
35
Issue
2
Pages
454-475
ISSN
  • 0954-5395 (ISSN-L)
  • 1748-8583
DOI
10.1111/1748-8583.12573
OpenAlex
W4402527604
Cited by
21
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 13
FWCI
8.74
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Human Resource Management Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Brunel University Research Archive (BURA) (Brunel University London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Education and Employment
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Rights and Representation
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Diversity and Inequality
Keywords
neurodiversity, neurodivergent employees, sociology of ignorance, neuronormativity, neuroinclusion, inclusive human resource management, HR policies and practices, marginalization, national context

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