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From refugee to manager? Organisational socialisation practices, refugees' experiences and polyrhythmic socialisation
Author(s) -
Ortlieb Renate,
Ressi Elena
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
european management review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.784
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1740-4762
pISSN - 1740-4754
DOI - 10.1111/emre.12500
Subject(s) - refugee , sociology , socialization , apprenticeship , set (abstract data type) , public relations , political science , social science , linguistics , philosophy , computer science , law , programming language
Labour market integration of refugees is a challenge to which employers can make a major contribution. This study examines how organisational socialisation practices tailored to the needs of refugees shape the refugees' socialisation and development. We draw on a longitudinal case study focused on refugees doing apprenticeships in a supermarket chain in Austria. We show how a set of organisational practices benefit the refugees. However, these practices, along with other factors inside and outside the workplace, also complicate the refugees' progress because they create tensions related to time. We identify three temporal tensions and propose the concept of ‘polyrhythmic socialisation’ to theorise about the specific shape of these tensions, their causes and consequences. We formulate recommendations for practitioners and avenues for future research.