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Research on the work, well-being and careers of migrant workers

Our Inclusive HRM experts are conducting research on the work, well-being and careers of Central and Eastern European migrant workers in the Dutch food production sector. The research project runs from 2020 to 2024 and is funded by Institute Gak.

Project Description

With the growth of the Dutch food production sector in recent decades, the composition of workers employed in the sector has also become increasingly diverse. Many workers come to The Netherlands from Central and Eastern European countries to fulfill a variety of roles in food production. The Covid-19 crisis highlighted that the sustainable employment of these workers is essential for the successful operation of organizations in the sector. It is paramount that migrant workers continue to be healthy, happy, and productive employees both for organizational objectives and their own sustainable employability. Therefore, decent work for migrant workers is a collective responsibility of stakeholders. This project explores the mechanisms that explain the problems with migrant workers’ working conditions in the Dutch food production sector. Insights from the project can support employers, agencies, trade unions, and policy makers in realizing decent work for all workers in the Dutch food production.

More project information you can find in the Research Portal.

Four Subprojects

  • Adopting systems thinking is essential for understanding complex social problems
    As part of Subproject 1, the researchers conduct a systematic review of the literature to identify the mechanisms that influence migrant workers’ quality of working conditions in food production.  Furthermore, interviews are conducted with employers, temporary work agencies, trade union representatives, employers’ organizations, non-governmental institutions, and researchers to better understand migrant workers’ position in the sector. Consequently, the researchers present a system dynamics model of the quality of working conditions.
  • Building resilience for career sustainability is not the sole responsibility of the worker
    Subproject 2 builds on a longitudinal interview study with migrants and focuses on the influence of Covid-19 on migrant workers’ career sustainability in the warehouse distribution sector. The researchers are particularly interested in how migrant workers mobilize their resources in the wake of career shocks. A practice-oriented report based on the findings of this subproject titled ‘Covid-19 as a Career Shock: Towards a Sustainable Career for Migrant Workers in the Dutch Warehouse Distribution Sector’ is available in English, Dutch and Hungarian language. Would you like to share the short summary of the findings with people working in this field?
    Please refer to our flyer, which is available in English, Dutch, Polish, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Czech, Slovakian, French, German and Lithuanian languages.
  • Inclusive HRM is key for managing a diverse workforce
    As part of Subproject 3, the researchers explore the inter-group dynamics amongst migrant workers in the workplace based on exploratory interviews and focus group studies. Subsequently, a scale is developed for measuring informal workplace hierarchies in workplaces characterized by migrant labour. Insights from this project contribute to managing diversity in low skilled work settings.
  • Stakeholder involvement is the cornerstone of societal impact
    In Subproject 4, the researchers organize participatory modelling sessions with stakeholders to explore how a shared responsibility for decent work can be achieved in the food production sector. This project provides a shared understanding of ways for improvement - by all actors involved - in realizing decent work for migrant workers.

Impact van Covid-19 maatregelen voor Centraal en Oost- Europese arbeidsmigranten

Researchers

The researchers involved are Kornélia Anna Kerti, MSc (PhD candidate), Dr. Brigitte Kroon (project manager and contact), Prof.dr. Charissa Freese (all affiliated to the Department of Human Resource Studies, Tilburg University), and Dr. Marloes van Engen and Dr. Inge Bleijenbergh (affiliated to Radboud University).

Institute Gak

Institute Gak wants to contribute to the quality of social security in the Netherlands by funding research, projects, and professorships. More information can be found at www.instituutgak.nl.

Contact

If you want to know more about this study, or participate in it, please contact