Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Human resources are one of the most valuable assets of any country’s economy. Countries invest millions in the education and development of their citizens to improve knowledge, skills and productivity that will sustain and enhance their economic growth. Previously governments regarded money spent on education and training of its current and potential workforce as a ‘safe’ investment, but the situation has changed drastically in the past 50 years. Today, many highly skilled professionals are leaving their native country to work and live in another.

La thèse, menée dans le cadre d’une convention industrielle de formation par la recherche (CIFRE) avec l’Observatoire Régional des Métiers (ORM, Marseille), porte sur le thème des mobilités professionnelles, entendues comme l’ensemble des changements qui ponctuent le cours des vies au travail. Elle montre que la « mobilité professionnelle » est une expression polémique qui renvoie à la question de savoir dans quelle mesure le pouvoir de la norme vient aujourd’hui imposer une forme unilatérale aux multiples vécus du changement au travail. En effet, construire la mobilité professionnelle d’un point de vue discursif (dans les champs social, politique, juridique et épistémologique) conduit à l’instituer comme mode de vie. A partir de ce constat, étayé au cours de la première partie, il s’agit de voir en quoi s’intéresser de près au vécu du changement peut contribuer à retravailler la norme qui intime aujourd’hui l’ordre de « bouger ». Pour répondre à cette question, l’analyse de récits biographiques de trajectoires professionnelles permet d’appréhender la mobilité professionnelle comme expérience impliquant le déploiement d’une véritable « activité de transition ». L’axe de l’expérience est transversal à l’ensemble de la deuxième partie de la thèse et il est travaillé selon trois directions : celle du déploiement des compétences au cours des situations de transition, celle du métier à l’épreuve ou à l’appui des processus de mobilité et enfin celle du développement du « sujet de la mobilité », revenant sur la question de savoir comment « le même » reste à la fois lui-même et « devient autre » à travers l’expérience du changement. In fine l’ensemble des éléments développés ouvre la voie à une réélaboration possible du concept de mobilité professionnelle. Aussi, deux niveaux de lecture de la thèse ne peuvent être dissociés : l’un, portant sur l’expérience de la mobilité professionnelle, nourrit l’autre, concernant des enjeux épistémologiques de définition du phénomène considéré. / This doctoral thesis, which was supported in the framework of a CIFRE funding agreement with the Observatoire Régional des Métiers (ORM, the Regional Occupational Observatory in Marseille), focuses on the theme of occupational mobility, defined as the whole set of changes which occur during people’s working lives. The author explains what a controversial term “occupational mobility” is, since it raises questions about the difference between discursive norms and how people actually experience the occupational changes made during their careers. Introducing the concept of occupational mobility into public discourse (in the social, political, juridical and epistemological fields) is bound to set mobility up as a way of life. Based on this conclusion reached in the first part of this study, it was proposed to examine how it may be possible to modulate the current coercive norm which incites people to keep on changing, by looking more closely at how these occupational changes have been experienced. To answer this question, some peoples’ personal accounts of their occupational trajectories were analyzed, and occupational mobility was found to be an experience which requires the ability to invest in transition as if it were an activity in itself. The theme of personal experience which runs through the whole of the second part of this study is approached from three different angles: how people’s skills are deployed during the transition phase, how people’s occupational skills are either put to the test or facilitate the process of mobility, and how the “mobile subject” develops as the result of this experience, i.e., how each person remains exactly the same while “becoming another person” due to this experience of change. In conclusion, all the aspects addressed here point to the need to revisit the concept of occupational mobility. The two levels at which this study was undertaken are therefore indissociable: the findings made on people’s personal experience of occupational mobility contribute to identifying the epistemological stakes involved in defining the phenomenon in question.

A proposta dessa dissertação é revisitar o tema para analisar o comportamento da mobilidade sócio-ocupacional brasileira no final do século XX e início do século XXI. O período de análise foi selecionado pela disponibilidade do suplemento de Mobilidade Sócio-ocupacional da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílio (PNAD) nos anos de 1996 e 2014. A partir da criação de uma medida de Status Sócio-econômico (SSE), que utiliza informações a respeito da ocupação, escolaridade e rendimento principal das pessoas, foi elaborada uma estrutura para as ocupações brasileiras, dividindo-as em seis estratos ocupacionais que variam do estrato alto ao estrato baixo-inferior. Para a análise dos movimentos dentro da estrutura obtida utilizamos matrizes de transição de status e medidas de mobilidade. A análise de trajetórias foi aplicada para identificar como o status sócio-ocupacional do pai afeta o status do filho em 2014. Os resultados obtidos mostram uma sociedade com elevada mobilidade sócio-ocupacional. No caso intergeracional, cerca de 67% dos indivíduos experimentou mobilidade nos dois períodos. A mobilidade intrageracional nos mostra que a grande maioria dos indivíduos de 2014, cerca de 75%, iniciou sua carreira em ocupações de estrato baixo. Na dinâmica da mobilidade brasileira dominam os movimentos de mobilidade circular. No caso intrageracional, a mobilidade estrutural aumentou, mas ainda não ultrapassa a mobilidade circular. A análise de trajetórias permitiu observar que a influência do status sócio-ocupacional do pai sobre o status do filho é maior por canais indiretos, como a educação do filho e o status da ocupação inicial. Utilizando a medida de status ocupacional foi possível abordar a inclusão de variáveis de background familiar do indivíduo na estimação de equações de rendimento e o seu papel na diminuição do viés nas estimativas da influência da educação na determinação da renda. A mobilidade social brasileira é um fenômeno forte na sociedade, porém a influência das características herdadas pelo indivíduo sobre as suas chances de mobilidade ainda é bastante alta, sendo necessário diminuí-la para que haja maior igualdade nas oportunidades de mobilidade. / The objective of this dissertation is to revisit the topic to analyze the behavior of the Brazilian socio-occupational mobility in the late 20th century and early 21st century. The analysis period was selected according to the availability of socio-occupational mobility supplements of the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) in 1996 and 2014. A structure for the Brazilian occupations was elaborated from the measurement of socioeconomic status (SSE), which comprises information about occupation, educational attainments and main income. Such structure was divided into six occupational strata ranging from high to inferior-low. The movements within the structure were analyzed through status transition matrices and mobility measurements. Path analysis was applied to identify how the father\'s socio-occupational status affects the child\'s status in 2014. The results demonstrated a society with high socio-occupational mobility. Regarding the intergenerational aspect, approximately 67% of the individuals experienced mobility in both periods. The intragenerational mobility showed that most individuals in 2014, about 75%, started their careers in low-stratum occupations. Circular mobility movements predominate in the Brazilian mobility dynamics. The structural mobility increased in the intragenerational case; however, it did not surpass the circular mobility. The path analysis showed that the influence of the father\'s socio-occupational status on the child\'s one is higher through indirect channels, such as the child\'s education and the initial occupation status. The measurement of the occupational status allowed the inclusion of family background variables in the earnings functions to analyze their role in the decrease of bias regarding the influence of education on income determination. The Brazilian social mobility is a strong phenomenon in the society; however, the influence of one\'s inherited characteristics on the mobility chances is still considerably high. Thus, the influence of such characteristics needs to be minimized to allow more equality in mobility opportunities.

A proposta dessa dissertação é revisitar o tema para analisar o comportamento da mobilidade sócio-ocupacional brasileira no final do século XX e início do século XXI. O período de análise foi selecionado pela disponibilidade do suplemento de Mobilidade Sócio-ocupacional da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílio (PNAD) nos anos de 1996 e 2014. A partir da criação de uma medida de Status Sócio-econômico (SSE), que utiliza informações a respeito da ocupação, escolaridade e rendimento principal das pessoas, foi elaborada uma estrutura para as ocupações brasileiras, dividindo-as em seis estratos ocupacionais que variam do estrato alto ao estrato baixo-inferior. Para a análise dos movimentos dentro da estrutura obtida utilizamos matrizes de transição de status e medidas de mobilidade. A análise de trajetórias foi aplicada para identificar como o status sócio-ocupacional do pai afeta o status do filho em 2014. Os resultados obtidos mostram uma sociedade com elevada mobilidade sócio-ocupacional. No caso intergeracional, cerca de 67% dos indivíduos experimentou mobilidade nos dois períodos. A mobilidade intrageracional nos mostra que a grande maioria dos indivíduos de 2014, cerca de 75%, iniciou sua carreira em ocupações de estrato baixo. Na dinâmica da mobilidade brasileira dominam os movimentos de mobilidade circular. No caso intrageracional, a mobilidade estrutural aumentou, mas ainda não ultrapassa a mobilidade circular. A análise de trajetórias permitiu observar que a influência do status sócio-ocupacional do pai sobre o status do filho é maior por canais indiretos, como a educação do filho e o status da ocupação inicial. Utilizando a medida de status ocupacional foi possível abordar a inclusão de variáveis de background familiar do indivíduo na estimação de equações de rendimento e o seu papel na diminuição do viés nas estimativas da influência da educação na determinação da renda. A mobilidade social brasileira é um fenômeno forte na sociedade, porém a influência das características herdadas pelo indivíduo sobre as suas chances de mobilidade ainda é bastante alta, sendo necessário diminuí-la para que haja maior igualdade nas oportunidades de mobilidade. / The objective of this dissertation is to revisit the topic to analyze the behavior of the Brazilian socio-occupational mobility in the late 20th century and early 21st century. The analysis period was selected according to the availability of socio-occupational mobility supplements of the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) in 1996 and 2014. A structure for the Brazilian occupations was elaborated from the measurement of socioeconomic status (SSE), which comprises information about occupation, educational attainments and main income. Such structure was divided into six occupational strata ranging from high to inferior-low. The movements within the structure were analyzed through status transition matrices and mobility measurements. Path analysis was applied to identify how the father\'s socio-occupational status affects the child\'s status in 2014. The results demonstrated a society with high socio-occupational mobility. Regarding the intergenerational aspect, approximately 67% of the individuals experienced mobility in both periods. The intragenerational mobility showed that most individuals in 2014, about 75%, started their careers in low-stratum occupations. Circular mobility movements predominate in the Brazilian mobility dynamics. The structural mobility increased in the intragenerational case; however, it did not surpass the circular mobility. The path analysis showed that the influence of the father\'s socio-occupational status on the child\'s one is higher through indirect channels, such as the child\'s education and the initial occupation status. The measurement of the occupational status allowed the inclusion of family background variables in the earnings functions to analyze their role in the decrease of bias regarding the influence of education on income determination. The Brazilian social mobility is a strong phenomenon in the society; however, the influence of one\'s inherited characteristics on the mobility chances is still considerably high. Thus, the influence of such characteristics needs to be minimized to allow more equality in mobility opportunities.

Cette thèse de doctorat s’intéresse au cheminement qui mène aux différences de participation au marché du travail français entre divers groupes d’immigrés et le reste de la population résidant en France, en exploitant les données des enquêtes Histoire de vie – Construction des identités (INSEE, 2003), Mobilité géographique et insertion sociale (INED, INSEE, 1992) et Parcours et profils des migrants (DREES, 2 vagues : 2006, 2007). L’originalité de l’approche adoptée tient à la comparaison selon le statut migratoire et la catégorie sexée des individus tout au long du parcours professionnel en France, puis également à la prise en compte de la vie professionnelle des immigrés avant l’immigration et des changements observés à certains moments clés du processus migratoire (à l’arrivée, à l’obtention d’un premier titre de séjour « durable », à l’éventuelle acquisition de la nationalité française). Les résultats obtenus révèlent d’abord l’importance de l’entrée en emploi en France sur la participation économique ultérieure des femmes et des hommes immigrés, cette dernière dépendant à son tour des conditions de la migration et de leur évolution. Bien que l’arrivée en France influe considérablement sur les parcours professionnels des immigré(e)s, son influence pourrait toutefois être relativisée, notamment en comparaison avec d’autres événements d’histoire de vie chez les femmes (surtout ceux familiaux). La dimension genre s’est avérée essentielle à la compréhension de ces processus. / The focus of this doctoral thesis is the study of pathways leading to different levels of participation in the French labour market amongst various immigrant groups and the general population resident in France. Data from several surveys are used to this end: Histoire de vie – Construction des identités [Life histories and identity construction] (INSEE, 2003), Mobilité géographique et insertion sociale [Geographical mobility and social integration] (INED, INSEE, 1992) et Parcours et profils des migrants [Trajectories and profiles of migrants, survey with one-year follow-up] (DREES, 2 vagues : 2006, 2007). The originality of the approach used is in the comparative perspective, according to migratory status and gender category, throughout the occupational trajectory in France and also the consideration of occupational experience before migration and changes observed at certain key moments of the migration process (on arrival in France, on obtaining a first “lasting” residence permit and on the acquisition of French nationality, when this occurred). The results obtained firstly reveal the importance of entering the labour market in France on later economic participation of women and men, the level of participation depending in turn on the conditions of migration and subsequent experiences. Although the moment of arrival in France often constitutes a turning point in occupational histories, its influence could to be considered in relative terms, notably in comparison with other life history events experienced by women (in particular, family-related event). The gender dimension is shown to be crucial in understanding the processes under study.

The thesis tests whether the impact of immigration on native workers differs depending on the business cycle. Previous studies proved that labour mobility and the effect of immigration differs with respect to the business cycle. For the expansionary years was found a sizable relocation of native workers to occupations with more interactive rather than manual content as a response to immigration. This is no longer the case for economy in recession period. However, there is null impact on native employment that does not change with the business cycle. The results were found for Spanish labour market and the conclusions about the employment all were found also for American labour market. The European labour market has been studied just in the period before crisis. Following the study about Spanish task specialization we would like to see if there is any change of impact of immigration on native task specialization in European Union. We split the data on the time period of expansion and the time period of economic crisis using the European Labour Force Survey. We would like to examine the effect of immigration on task specialization of natives on three groups of countries, West Europe, Germany and Middle and East Europe.

D.Phil / The Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act of 2003 and the Employment Equity Act of 1998 have disrupted the labour market in South Africa by accelerating the need to appoint senior black managers in organisations. There is at the same time an undersupply of candidates meeting the requirements because of the education system and job reservation policies under the apartheid government. One of the outcomes of the operating environment is a perception that there is an abnormally high job mobility rate among senior black managers. The South African Employment Equity Act of 1998 defines blacks as Coloureds, Indians and Africans. The biggest challenge facing corporate South Africa is to retain senior black skill. The research problem the study attempts to solve is to understand factors that lead to senior black managers‟ mobility. Little research has been done in this regard. The objective of the study is to present a model that can assist in better retention of senior black managers. The model will present solutions for any sub groups that may emerge. This study also investigates the perceptions of senior black managers with regard to factors that influence their decision to change jobs.

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The broad objective of this thesis is to study the patterns of objective and subjective well-being among the immigrants in Europe. The main part of the thesis consists of three single-authored empirical chapters. The first chapter analyzes the longitudinal patterns of relative poverty among the foreign-born in Sweden. The second chapter examines the mechanisms of occupational attainment, occupational mobility and long-term occupational cost of migration among Senegalese immigrants in France, Spain and Italy. The third chapter analyzes life satisfaction and income satisfaction among immigrants in Germany. At the most general level, the results in the empirical chapters suggest that the objective well-being improves with duration of stay at destination, even if very gradually for some immigrant groups, while, on the other hand, there is a ceteris paribus negative relationship between the subjective well-being and duration of stay. A number of other findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the processes associated with the well-being among immigrants. / L'objectiu general d'aquesta tesi és estudiar les pautes del benestar objectiu i subjectiu dels immigrants a Europa. La part principal de la tesi consisteix en tres capítols empírics d'autoria única. El primer capítol analitza les pautes longitudinals de pobresa relativa entre els nascuts a l’estranger a Suècia. El segon capítol examina els mecanismes d’obtenció d’ocupació, la mobilitat i cost professional a llarg termini de la migració entre els immigrants d’origen senegalès a França, Espanya i Itàlia. El tercer capítol analitza la satisfacció general amb la vida i la satisfacció amb els ingressos entre els immigrants a Alemanya. Els resultats en els capítols empirics suggereixen, a nivell general, que el benestar objectiu millora a mida que creix la durada de l’estada en el lloc de destí, tot i que de manera molt gradual per alguns grups d’immigrants, mentre que, d’altra banda, hi ha una relació ceteris paribus negativa entre el benestar subjectiu i la durada de l’estada. Diversos resultats contribueixen a una comprensió més matisada dels processos associats amb el benestar entre els immigrants.

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