From Organizational to National Belonging: A Longitudinal Study of Migrant Trainees in Germany
About this Session
Time
Thu. 16.04. 15:55
Room
Lobby
Speaker
by Anna Apostolidou
Perceptions of inequality can have long-term societal effects, shaping participation and trust in institutions. These dynamics are especially relevant for migrant communities, who often face barriers to full inclusion that extend beyond access to the labor market. While employment is frequently treated as the primary route to integration, I argue that the workplace itself is a critical arena where inequality is negotiated: early work experiences can either foster belonging or reinforce exclusion and distance from the host society. Drawing on organizational identification theory, I propose that migrants’ psychological attachment to their organization can serve as a bridge to emotional identification with the host country. To test this, I conducted a 21-month longitudinal survey study of 208 migrant trainees in Germany. The analysis shows that positive and negative experiences during the first weeks of a traineeship significantly shaped organizational identification three months later, whereas weekly fluctuations had no lasting effect. In turn, organizational identification had a weak but consistent positive effect on the trajectory of national identification over time. These findings indicate that workplace and societal belonging are interconnected: the way migrants are received and supported in organizations matters not only for their professional adjustment but also for their broader societal integration. The study contributes to inequality research in three ways. First, it highlights the workplace as a political and social arena where micro-level interactions accumulate into macro-level consequences for broader inclusion. This perspective complements research emphasizing structural barriers such as employment access by showing how exclusion and inclusion can be created in everyday work relations. Second, the longitudinal design enables an analysis of identity development over time, capturing the dynamic nature of belonging rather than treating it as a static outcome. Third, the study draws attention to the often-overlooked group of migrant trainees, whose early labor market experiences offer critical insights into how early perceptions shape their future trajectories. Overall, the findings suggest that the workplace is not merely a site of economic integration but also a space where national belonging can be fostered or eroded.
Perceptions of inequality can have long-term societal effects, shaping participation and trust in institutions. These dynamics are especially relevant for migrant communities, who often face barriers to full inclusion that extend beyond access to the labor market. While employment is frequently treated as the primary route to integration, I argue that the workplace itself is a critical arena where inequality is negotiated: early work experiences can either foster belonging or reinforce exclusion and distance from the host society. Drawing on organizational identification theory, I propose that migrants’ psychological attachment to their organization can serve as a bridge to emotional identification with the host country. To test this, I conducted a 21-month longitudinal survey study of 208 migrant trainees in Germany. The analysis shows that positive and negative experiences during the first weeks of a traineeship significantly shaped organizational identification three months later, whereas weekly fluctuations had no lasting effect. In turn, organizational identification had a weak but consistent positive effect on the trajectory of national identification over time. These findings indicate that workplace and societal belonging are interconnected: the way migrants are received and supported in organizations matters not only for their professional adjustment but also for their broader societal integration. The study contributes to inequality research in three ways. First, it highlights the workplace as a political and social arena where micro-level interactions accumulate into macro-level consequences for broader inclusion. This perspective complements research emphasizing structural barriers such as employment access by showing how exclusion and inclusion can be created in everyday work relations. Second, the longitudinal design enables an analysis of identity development over time, capturing the dynamic nature of belonging rather than treating it as a static outcome. Third, the study draws attention to the often-overlooked group of migrant trainees, whose early labor market experiences offer critical insights into how early perceptions shape their future trajectories. Overall, the findings suggest that the workplace is not merely a site of economic integration but also a space where national belonging can be fostered or eroded.