Refugees' inclusion at work: a qualitative cross-level analysis

Purpose Refugees' inclusion at work is critical for the individual, for employers and for the receiving societies. Yet, refugees are often disadvantaged in working life or are being excluded from the labor market altogether. The purpose of this paper is to examine barriers and facilitators to refugees' inclusion at work at the individual, organizational and country level, and pay particular attention to how the three levels relate to each other in shaping inclusion and exclusion of refugees at work. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted 18 interviews with employed refugees, employers and experts from governmental and non-governmental institutions in the Netherlands. Findings Based on the theoretical structure, 13 themes emerged from the interview material - 5 themes at the individual level, 4 at the organizational level and 4 at the country level. The authors also found indicators for an interplay of barriers and facilitators across levels. Originality/value The organizational level, which diversity research has shown to affect minority group members' inclusion at work, is rarely taken into account in refugee research. Based on the cross-level analysis, the authors identify patterns of interplay between the three levels and provide a relational framework of refugees' inclusion at work.