Portrayal of skilled migrants’ careers in business and management studies

What is it about?

A review of existing business and management studies of skilled migrants' careers. Core themes arising from this review are presented, including labeling inconsistency concerning the population (with researchers using terminology such as ‘skilled migrants,’ ‘immigrant professionals’ and ‘qualified immigrants’ interchangeably); the need for including skilled migrant managers and business professionals in research (rather than concentrating on lower‐level employment categories only); and a more relational, holistic realization of skilled migrants' careers (rather than the current literature's negative portrayal, propounding the image of migrants as exploited or under‐utilized). In underlining the gaps in the literature and research in this area, a research agenda is proposed.

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Why is it important?

The primary contribution of this paper is for the benefit of management researchers in providing a synthesis of research themes on skilled migrants' careers in business and management studies. Second, for organizations, managers and human resource managers employing skilled migrants, the paper highlights the common challenges and benefits associated with this international labor population across the literature, and the organizational supports that may be required. Third, for skilled migrants, the paper unpacks from the detailed SLR the dynamic multilevel factors impacting on their workplace experiences and careers in a foreign country, providing researchers and practitioners alike with a better understanding of the consolidated facilitators and challenges skilled migrants face in their careers.

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