Disability-Inclusive Employment as a Market-Facing Capability: Evidence from Building Economics and Business Value Creation

Abstract

Disability-inclusive employment is frequently framed in terms of legal compliance, ethical obligation, or corporate responsibility, yet there is limited empirical understanding of how inclusive practices become economically consequential in operational service environments. This qualitative study examines disability-inclusive employment as an organizational capability and pursues three objectives: to analyze routinised accommodation practices, supervisory coordination mechanisms, and the generation of reliability-based credibility signals in building- and facilities-related service contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees with disabilities, their direct supervisors, and members of top management in building- and facilities-related organizations. Data were analyzed using iterative thematic analysis with constant comparison across participant groups to trace process-level mechanisms linking inclusion to service outcomes. The analysis identifies three interrelated mechanisms: routinised accommodation stabilizes task–environment fit by reducing uncertainty and standardizing task execution; supervisory capability embeds inclusive practices into scheduling, communication, and service governance; and stable service routines generate reliability-based credibility signals observable to external stakeholders during service encounters. Rather than operating as a visible signal in itself, disability-inclusive employment contributes to organizational value indirectly through consistent service performance and the accumulation of trust over time. The study contributes to building economics by demonstrating how socially embedded employment practices can function as operational capabilities that link internal routine stability to external credibility and business value in real-time service environments. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the University of Kelaniya Ethical Review Committee (2023, No. 07).