Experienced success factors for transitions versus perceived obstacles at Samhall : A qualitative study of individuals with disabilities in the labour market.

Samhall is a state-owned company that is 100% owned by the Swedish state. The business produces demanded goods and services. In addition, the company manufactures a number of its own products. The main purpose of the business is to develop the work ability and increase the motivation of individuals with disabilities by creating meaningful jobs. The state's goal is that at least 5% of the people employed at Samhall should be able to make a transition to other companies. Previous research on transitional work at Samhall primarily addresses the importance of the situation in the labor market and the discrimination, towards individuals with disabilities, that exists on the labor market, the importance of the commitment and motivation of the individual with disabilities, as well as the risk of a lock-in effect and socialization as a disabled person. The purpose of the study is to describe and analyze what the perceived success factors are for successful transition work from Samhall versus what possible factors may be perceived as obstacles in the regular labor market. This from the perspective of the people who have made this "journey" themselves. The data has been analyzed based on Erving Goffman's ideas of stigma that have come to play a crucial role. His theory changed the view in the field of disability research. This essay consists of a descriptive part about Samhall's operations and work on transitions and in-depth interviews with people working at Samhall and their own experiences in the labor market. Based on the interviews, I came to the conclusion that the most important thing for successful transitional work is the managers attitude against the people with disabilities. Self-commitment and motivation were other success factors for a transition. Discrimination towards the individuals with disabilities from the managers is the main reason for perceived barriers. Other reasons for the perceived barrier comes from the individual's attitudes and adaptations in connection to the security that is built up at Samhall, which then can lead to a worse self-image and self-esteem. The knowledge that has emerged in my thesis complements the knowledge from the literature review and gives a new perspective on the transition work from Samhall to other companies