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Subject: search.filters.subject.Underemployment

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    Work experiences of Chinese migrants : impact on family wellbeing : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Human Resource Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Tian, Hui
    Immigration has rapidly increased throughout the world, especially from developing to developed countries. Through immigration, most people are searching for better career opportunities, better economic outcomes, and a pleasant environment. For a relatively long time, Australia, the United States of America, Canada, Europe, and New Zealand are ranked as the top popular destinations. New Zealand is renowned as a country of immigrants, and the numbers entering are increasing annually. While Europeans used to dominate the early waves of immigration, more recently, especially after the commencement of the points system for skilled migrants, more people are coming from Asian countries, such as China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and India. China, in particular, had been a significant contributor to the inflow of migrants to New Zealand. The Chinese workforce is becoming a critical part of the current labor market in New Zealand (Badkar &Tuya, 2010). Unlike many other Asian countries, those from mainland China do not have English as a key language, which has been the top barrier for Chinese migrants’ employment and settlement in New Zealand. Underemployment has become a collective experience for many Chinese migrants throughout New Zealand. The current study replicated a study that examined the work experiences of Asian immigrants in New Zealand (Sobrun-Maharaj, Rossen, & Kim, 2011), with some changes that have been made. To conduct this research, a 30-45mins qualitative semi-structured interview was undertaken with each participant and were content analyzed. The results showed that a large portion of new Chinese migrants was experiencing underemployed or have the experience of being underemployed. The experience of underemployment has generated many negative effects on their psychological and physical health. Besides, those adverse effects may not only constraint on an individual level but also extend to their families and the social context of their families. However, many factors may have an impact on how people value and adjust to the status of underemployment, such as previous working experience, their motivation for immigration, which may either weaken or even eliminate those negative impacts. The current study hoped to get a whole picture of the impact of underemployment of new Chinese migrants in the Auckland labor market on their family wellbeing. It had provided significant implications for new migrants, employers, communities, government, and further researchers. Even though the underemployment of new migrants is not a new topic, there is still a broad-scale research agenda need to study. More rigorous design and complex models should be applied for future studies. Longitudinal research designs, as well as family studies, can also be designed to examine the broader and more prolonged effects of underemployment.
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    Recent graduates and the labour market : a study of graduate expectations and experiences in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Human Resource Management, Massey University
    (Massey University, 2002) Coulon, Allana
    This research examined graduate transitions from study to work in New Zealand by investigating the expectations, experiences, and satisfaction with early career for three consecutive graduate cohorts. It was timely, in light of increasing participation in tertiary education; a national emphasis on the development of a learning society and lifelong learning; and the unpredictable and highly competitive labour market in New Zealand. Several key findings emerged from this study, notably: graduates encountered significant turbulence in the first eighteen months of their career; and whilst most graduates had entered stable employment, in many instances they were underemployed. The findings challenge the limited nature of current data collection processes for the annual New Zealand Vice Chancellors Committee graduate destinations report. Given the importance, both politically and socially, of the need for accurate reporting, it is essential for the current data collection techniques to be revisited.
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    Psycho-social correlates of employment amongst skilled newcomers to New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Mace, Karen Alison
    This socially relevant research focused on immigrants and refugees who have arrived in New Zealand in the last five years and investigated the affect, behaviours and cognitions associated with trying to find work that matched their qualifications. While there has been a lot of research on immigrants and refugees from various perspectives, not much has focused specifically on the psycho-social correlates of under-employment that skilled newcomers to New Zealand face, in trying to find work that matches their existing qualifications. This research investigated how a) behaviours used pre-interview, b) behaviours used at interview, c) cognitive flexibility, d) acculturation style adopted by the newcomer to New Zealand, e) acculturation 'fit' between the acculturation styles of the newcomer and the employment community predicted (i) how close the newcomer came to finding a job that matched their qualifications and subsequent (ii) employment related emotional well-being. A sample of 70 newcomers (66% migrants, 17% refugees) filled in a questionnaire on these issues. Pre-interview behaviours, "here's what I can do for you" behaviours at interviews, cognitive flexibility and adapting to New Zealand culture all significantly predict how close the newcomer will come to finding jobs that match their qualifications and this in turn predicts employment related emotional well-being. Research of this kind may be used eventually to inform immigration policy and, more importantly, to assist immigrants with finding employment that matches their qualifications.