Third-country graduates and their transition to the German labor market

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how non-EU university graduates (third-country graduates, TCGs) experience the intended transition to the German labor market. Through a critical analysis across multiple contexts, the authors intend to increase the reflexive scope of HRM research and practice. Design/methodology/approach – The explorative study is based on social constructivism. It relies on qualitative data, specifically problem-centered narrative-biographical interviews with ethnic Russian TCGs at three different stages of transition. The authors interpret social identity processes and related ascriptions of strangerness critically and link them to wider contexts and dominant categories of identity. Findings – Identity processes between social self and other require (dis-) identification with larger identity categories. TCGs as an example of skilled self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) face obstacles when seeking employment, yet, might utilize ascribed strangerness for reclaiming agency. To identify exclusive practices, individual career aspirations and organizational strategy and practice need to be linked to wider societal, institutional and national contexts. Research limitations/implications – Through a critical analysis across multiple contexts, HRM research and practice is enabled to reflect upon its own implicit assumptions. To identify critical intersections between interpersonal identity-making and dominant identity-categories, HRM researchers need to differentiate between emic self-perception and etic ascriptions, to move beyond individual and organizational levels of analysis and to consider the interrelations between structure and agency. Practical implications – HRM practitioners performing a critical analysis across multiple contexts are enabled to reflect upon their own implicit assumptions. This allows for improved organizational strategies and practices when trying to identify and secure global talents. Originality/value – The originality of the paper lies in providing a multi-context critical analysis of TCGs seeking employment, thereby enabling HRM research and practice to reflect upon implicit assumptions, to move beyond dominant categories and to truly identify and secure global talents.