New Zealand Journal of Psychology
Volume 34, Issue 2, 2005, Pages 97-109

Immigrant job huntings labour market experiences, and feelings about occupational satisfaction in New Zealand: An exploratory study (Article)

Mace K.A.* , Atkins S. , Fletcher R. , Carr S.C.
  • a School of Psychology/Te Kura Hinengaro Tangata, Massey University, Albany Campus, Private Bag 102 904, NSMC, Auckland, New Zealand
  • b School of Psychology/Te Kura Hinengaro Tangata, Massey University, Albany Campus, Private Bag 102 904, NSMC, Auckland, New Zealand
  • c School of Psychology/Te Kura Hinengaro Tangata, Massey University, Albany Campus, Private Bag 102 904, NSMC, Auckland, New Zealand
  • d School of Psychology/Te Kura Hinengaro Tangata, Massey University, Albany Campus, Private Bag 102 904, NSMC, Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

We investigated how an integrated model of often under- or un-employed immigrants' (a) job-hunting behaviours pre-interview, (b) positive behaviours used at interview, (c) cognitive flexibility, (d) acculturation style, and (e) acculturation 'fit' between (d) and employers' preferred style of acculturation for immigrants to adopt, predict how close immigrants come to finding full employment; and how this proximity to full employment may relate to broader feelings about occupational life. Seventy predominantly skilled immigrants to New Zealand provided indices of (a) to (d) through a sample survey, whilst (e) was measured with the added assistance of 20 experienced recruitment agencies, interviewed by telephone. Path analysis suggested that feelings about occupational life are related to proximity to full employment, which is itself predicted by a combination of (a) and (d), but not (b), (c) or (e). Links between proximity to employment and feelings about occupational life in New Zealand were unexpectedly negative, but only moderately stable. Our findings may challenge some of the received wisdom in the vocational literature, but are nonetheless consistent with implicit prejudice from prospective employers, and with a lived vocational experience of relative deprivation amongst immigrants themselves.

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Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33750056699&partnerID=40&md5=9ea6b7ccbea2a340fd09d3066c048eab
ISSN: 0112109X
Cited by: 16
Original Language: English