What is it about?
In this article, we draw upon the kaleidoscope career model (KCM) in a novel way to show how skilled migrants, just like a kaleidoscope, adjust their career parameters and construct bespoke career paths in order to cope with the career disruption of an international move. Specifically, the study unpacks the careers of 38 skilled migrants in Ireland. The findings show that this macro career transition – from home to host country – presents both opportunities and challenges for individual migrants in their quest to balance their work- and non-work-related demands. The study contributes to existing literature and debate on skilled migrants’ careers in the business and management discipline by presenting a more complete overview of the concerns and instrumental career choices of skilled migrants in the host country.
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Why is it important?
This article’s research question asks: how does the act of migration, and the career transitions this entails, affect the skilled migrants’ career motivations, actions and outcomes? The study, in answering the research question, explores the micro-level career impact of the broad (political and economic), proximal (personal, family) (Cohen and Duberley, 2015) and temporal contexts (social and historical time) (Elder, 1994) in a novel utilisation of the KCM lens. In doing this, the study offers a deeper understanding of the varied career influences, actions and outcomes associated with skilled migrant careers over time (Zikic et al., 2010), and suggests an alternative explanation for skilled migrants’ underemployment.
Perspectives
The choice of research subject was a “highly personal decision” (Denzin, 1989, p.4), with the rationale for my choice of this research topic strongly influenced by my own career experiences. The origins of my interest in the careers of skilled migrants working in the Irish SME sector lie in my own managerial career in the same sector. Over time, the diversity of the workforces I managed had changed, from a mainly homogenous Irish workforce (pre-2004) to one that contained a large percentage (on average 30-40%) of EU10 migrant workers (post-2004). What really captivated my interest was that many of the EU10 workers I managed were either highly skilled or educated, with many having years of professional experience. Yet they were mostly working in low to semi-skilled roles, such as general operatives. Nevertheless, they appeared content with these roles and were crafting new careers and lives for themselves and their families in Ireland. I had also developed relationships with a number of migrants through his work as a volunteer in a local charity shop. Many of this cohort were also well educated and skilled, yet they also were forging career paths very similar to the career paths of the migrants I encountered in his working life.
Dr Edward P O'Connor
Maynooth University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: From home to host: The instrumental kaleidoscopic careers of skilled migrants, Human Relations, March 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0018726719828452.
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