Integration at Work
How workplace policies affect labor market inequality between native and foreign-born apprentices in Germany
Project Description
Aims and Central Research Question
We explore workplace integration of migrant apprentices in the short and longer term. In the short term, we look into social acceptance, acculturation, identification and perceived fit, and job performance in the apprenticeship workplace. In the long term, we are interested in the successful completion of apprenticeships and in follow-up employment contracts. To explain these outcomes, we analyze how they are influenced by organizational factors, such as recruitment processes and socialization tactics, individual characteristics such as language skills and social ties, and school-related factors like coaching and business cooperation programs.
Background
How well migrants are integrated into a society is in no small way dependent on labor market integration. In Germany, increased vocational training programs enable standardized qualification and theoretically support a smooth transition into stable employment for migrants. Nevertheless, apprentices with migrant backgrounds drop out from vocational training much more often than German apprentices, indicating problems with their integration. While the importance of individual characteristics and of macro-societal factors for these processes is well-recognized in the literature, the role of organizations has been neglected. To fill this gap, we will focus on the role of organizations’ policies for the short- and long-term integration of immigrant apprentices.
Methods
We will collect longitudinal data covering the whole three-year vocational training period of 1.300 immigrant apprentices and a comparable control group of native-born peers. Apprentices will answer short weekly surveys during the first 12 weeks, followed by surveys in three-month intervals until the end of their apprenticeship. To better understand the organizational conditions of successful and failed workplace integration of immigrant employees, the apprentice surveys will be complemented by surveys of direct supervisors and HR representatives.
Disciplines
Management, Sociology, Organization Studies, Educational Research
Starting Date
1 October 2019
Project Partners
DIHK - Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag (German Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
The Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag, DIHK) is the central organisation for 79 Chambers of Commerce and Industry, CCI (Industrie- und Handelskammern, IHKs) in Germany. Find more information about DIHK here.
ZDH - Zentralverbund des Deutschen Handwerks (German Confederation of Skilled Crafts)
The ZDH is one of the central organizations of German industry and also cooperates with partner associations in the Mittelstand working group. It represents the overall interests of the skilled crafts sector vis-à-vis the Bundestag, the Federal Government and other central authorities, the European Union and international organisations. Find more information about ZDH here.
Literature
Academic Publications
Apostolidou, Anna, and Florian Kunze. 2024. “Do Immigrants Increase Group Productivity? A Study of Blue-Collar Workgroups.” Academy of Management Discoveries online first. https://doi.org/10/gt67gv.
Korman, B. A., Kunze, F., Koos, S. (2023). How Political Context Affects Immigrants’ Social Contact Dynamics and Mental Health at Work. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2023, No. 1, p. 12401). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Kunze, F. et al. (2023): Wie gelingt die Integration junger Zugewanderter in den Arbeitsmarkt? Das Integration@Work-Projekt. Policy Paper Nr. 13; 23. November 2023.
Maué, E., Findeisen, S., Schumann, S. (2023). Development, predictors, and effects of trainees’ organizational identification during their first year of vocational education and training. Frontiers in Psychology, 14.
Apostolidou, Anna, and Florian Kunze. 2022. “Steigern Migrant:Innen die Produktivität von Teams? Eine Studie in Arbeiterteams.” PERSONALquarterly 2:48–53.
Korman, B., Kunze, F., Reinwald, M., Dwertmann, D. (2022). The Effect of Community Support for Far-Right Political Parties on Immigrant Employee’s Absenteeism. Academy of Management Proceedings 2022 (1): 10102. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2022.10102abstract.
Maué, E., Diehl, C., Schumann, S. (2021). Young Refugees in Prevocational Preparation Classes : Who Is Moving on to the next Step? Journal for Educational Research Online (JERO) 13 (1): 105–27. https://doi.org/10.31244/jero.2021.01.04.
Outreach
Suedduetsche Zeitung (2023): Woran Zugewanderte auf dem Arbeitsmarkt scheitern
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (2023): Junge Zugewanderte brechen häufiger ihre Ausbildung ab
Karla (2022): Irgendwann integriert im Arbeitsmarkt
CSR Magazin (2020): Die betriebliche Integration von Geflüchteten, ein Beitrag von Prof. Dr. Sebastian Koos und Anna Apostolidou
Crossmedia Contributions
Podcast (2023): Wie attraktiv ist Deutschland für International Talents? Professor Kunze beim Inside Germany Podcast
Podcast (2023): Professor Kunze bei Professo Süß über die Integration von Migrant:innen
Article in In_equality - Apostolidou, Kormann, Kunze (2022): “Integration am Arbeitsplatz, Arbeitserfahrugen von Migrant*innen" (In_equality Ausgabe 04_2022, Seiten 42-45)
Article in Unikon (2022): “Aller Anfang ist schwer – für manche schwerer” (unikon Ausgabe 76, Seiten 44-47)
Policy Paper - Kunze, Florian et al. (2023): Wie gelingt die Integration junger Zugewanderter in den Arbeitsmarkt? Das Integration@Work-Projekt (Policy Paper Nr. 13; 23. November 2023)