Human resource management of international migrants: current theories and future research

Abstract

The topic of international migration has gained increasing importance for organizations as they expand internationally. In this paper, we review prior research on human resource management (HRM) of international migrants to identify gaps in the literature. We then discuss paths for future research and present the papers in this special issue, so as to offer a better understanding of HRM of international migrants.

Acculturation, coping, and integration success of international skilled migrants: An integrative review and multilevel framework

“…As ISMs frequently originate from emerging and developing economies (United Nations, 2017), they are often treated as "second-class" employees and are disadvantaged based on their national origin (Binggeli et al, 2013;Dietz, Joshi, Esses, Hamilton, & Gabarrot, 2015). Compared with AEs and SIEs, ISMs are also perceived as having lower levels of agency (Guo & Al Ariss, 2015;Hajro, Zilinskaite, & Stahl, 2017).…”

Posting and agency work in British construction and hospitality: the role of regulation in differentiating the experiences of migrants

“…IHRM research on migration has focused primarily on the ways companies use and manage highly-skilled (temporary) migrants and expatriates, often using the terms interchangeably (Beaverstock and Hall 2012;De Cieri, Cox and Fenwick 2007;Lillie, Wagner and Berntsen, 2014). Therefore the debate has been oriented towards 'talent recruitment', 'cross-cultural adjustments' in MNCs (Bahn, 2015), global city competitiveness and growth (Beaverstock 2012), and the transfer of knowledge and skills of qualified international migrants (Guo and Al Ariss, 2015). In this sense, mainstream business and management studies tend to consider highly-skilled migrants as a 'mobile elite' and sideline low-skilled migration (e.g.…”

“…In this sense, mainstream business and management studies tend to consider highly-skilled migrants as a 'mobile elite' and sideline low-skilled migration (e.g. Doherty 2013; Guo and Al Ariss, 2015). Critical voices within IHRM underline the narrow focus of the field on expatriates and their lack of engagement with socio-economic questions, such as the difficulties in managing life across national borders and the wider consequences of cross-border labour mobility (De Cieri et al, 2007).…”

“…Other state policies that affect employment of particular groups, such as migration policy, are still under-researched. More recently, IHRM scholars have considered policy and legal barriers, as well as the hurdles of language, bureaucratic processes, and visa entitlements for migrant employees, and the role of organisations in alleviating them (Guo and Al Ariss, 2015;Hosoda, Stone and Romero, 2010).…”

Determinants of Migrant Career Success: A Study of Recent Skilled Migrants in Australia

“…Adopting this multiple‐level lens enables a more comprehensive assessment of the antecedents of migrant career success, which may the development of policies that better reflect the confluence of factors that contribute to employment outcomes of skilled migrants and facilitate their integration into the host society. For the purpose of this article, we define “skilled migrants” as individuals with high human capital (i.e., those who have obtained a university degree and have trained in an occupation or profession) (Nowicka, ; Guo and Al Ariss, ) with intentions to settle long‐term or permanently in Australia (Boese and Macdonald, ). Our sample is restricted to migrants who are already permanent residents or naturalized citizens and exclude temporary migrants (e.g., those who entered Australia under the 457 visa) or refugees with high human capital, as these individuals may experience different career paths and outcomes (Goldring and Landolt, ; Boese et al., ; Velayutham, ).…”