‘I know that I know nothing’ – the perceptions of remote work competencies of the persons with disabilities

Abstract

Remote work arrangements, facilitated through digital entrepreneurship and remote work platforms, represent employment inclusion strategy for persons with disabilities (PWD) who need to possess a certain level of digital entrepreneurial competencies (DEC) and knowledge of remote work platforms to participate in such arrangements. Contemporary academic literature on remote work opportunities for PWD lacks research specifically targeting the competencies required for remote work within this particular group. One approach to measuring the DEC and remote work competencies of PWD is through self-assessment of relevant competencies. Another approach involves assessing their actual competencies through knowledge and ability assessment. This study focuses on the self-assessment of DEC and remote work competencies among a sample of PWD in Serbia (n = 125), and explores their association with various socio-demographic and contextual factors. Statistical analysis included exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and non-parametric tests to compare differences between groups. The results suggest a clear need for capacity building in remote work for PWD. Furthermore, certain socio-demographic and contextual factors were found to have a significant impact on perceptions of PWD remote work competencies.