Innovation Climate in Vocational Training Centers for People with Disabilities in the Iranian City Ahvaz: 2014

Innovation is the key to business success and survival. Creative and innovative people are the source of dynamism in firms. In small corporations creating a dynamic and innovative climate may lead to creating jobs, increasing income, and empowering people. Vocational training centers are supposed to support disabled people to develop novel ideas. The support is meant to help disabled people get employed, improve their welfare and increase their social capitals. Innovation climate in these centers may create self–sufficient, independent, satisfying jobs for a better lifetime occupation for disabled people. This research aimed to investigate the innovation climate in vocational training centers for people with disability in Ahvaz, Iran.

In this study used a descriptive and cross–sectional method. The study population consisted of full–time employees of five vocational training centers for people with disability in Ahvaz. Since all the employees participated in the research, there was no need for sampling. Demographic information, namely, age, gender, were collected. The research instrument was a revised form of Organizational Innovation Inventory adapted for vocational training centers on a five–point Likert scale. This inventory included the following components: challenge/participation (7 statements), freedom (6 statements), trust (3 statements), time for idea (6 statements), good traits (5 statements), conflicts (11 statements), discussion and negotiation (6 statements) and accepting risks (4 statements). Cronbach’s alpha calculated to be 0.86 for this tool. Five professors confirmed the instrument’s face and content validity from rehabilitation and health schools. Descriptive statistics indices, namely, mean, standard variation, frequency as well as independent sample t–test and one way ANOVA used for data analysis. 

87.5% of the participants were female. 60% of the participants were between 31to 40 years old. 45% of them enjoyed University degrees, though not often higher than BSc. 42.5% of the participants had a high school diploma. The participants scored 25.2 on challenge/participation subscale, 20.7 on freedom subscale, 9.8 on trust subscale, 21.05 on time for idea subscale, 18.3 on good traits subscale, 35.8 on conflicts subscale and 20.5 on discussion and negotiation subscale, which were considered to be appropriate. However, they scored 10.7 on accepting risks subscale, which is relatively low. The overall score for innovation climate was 161.1, which is relatively appropriate. Gender, age groups, education levels of employees and type of center showed no significant difference in innovation climate. However, work experience demonstrated a significant medium size negative correlation with innovation climate. 

A relatively appropriate innovation climate observed in vocational training centers for people with disabilities in Ahvaz, Iran. Younger employees embraced the innovation climate better than more experienced employees, whose perception of the organization was not as positive. Perhaps they were convinced that the organization was supportive enough of innovation and creativity as a result of their past experiences. Managers of these centers may create more innovative climate via constructing a trustful correlation with employees, introducing proper on job training programs, supporting new ideas and giving a proper score to innovative approaches in staff yearly final evaluation.