The organization of vocational rehabilitation: the structure of success.

Focusing on vocational rehabilitation goals provides an understanding of the underlying structural and behavioural factors affecting successful employment outcomes. Two types of vocational centres having contrasting rehabilitation employment orientations are examined. Both types have similar end goals but organizational structures shaping divergent means toward the gainful employment of disabled persons. Utilizing a split sample of 14 vocational rehabilitation programmes in Israel, 7 sheltered and 7 supported programmes, a structured questionnaire of key administrative personnel and employees was generated. Success was based on six consensus measures. Clear differences between administrative, organizational and programme goals emerge, which affect goal priority and source of success measurement. Employing regression models, three keys to success are detected which stress the interplay between internal and external organization reference criteria in affecting success attainment. The results suggest that the organization of vocational rehabilitation has a direct impact on rehabilitation success.