PurposeThe influx of migrant workers in the UK has widespread interest. This group's experience of the British work place has evoked considerable debate ranging from the potential to be exploited through unscrupulous practices to allegations about taking away jobs from British workers. The purpose of this paper is to extend knowledge about the workplace experiences of migrant workers and discuss the implications this may offer for human resource management practice.Design/methodology/approachThe method uses an interpretive approach as the principal method of inquiry. Insights are presented through the use of descriptive vignettes to preserve the contextual richness in participant's descriptions.FindingsThe dynamics of the psychological contract has been fundamentally affected by increasing numbers of migrant workers in the workplace. There is clear potential for a dual system to exist where migrant workers are treated differently in terms of recruitment, training and deployment. The ability to ensure employees work safely and are equipped to undertake their job roles is a key concern.Research limitations/implicationsThe research reports an initial study and as such the findings, although representative of the group reported, may be atypical.Practical implicationsEmployers and HR practitioners are missing an opportunity to recruit and deploy well motivated highly skilled individuals. Earlier research which focuses on quantitative‐based approaches may possess methodological problems which this research aims to highlight.Originality/valueThe use of in‐depth interviews allows a better informed understanding of the philosophical (and cultural) tensions to emerge. Such an approach offers insights which until now have eluded research focused upon more quantitatively oriented studies.

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of incorporating visual methods in the study of identity and identity work. Design/methodology/approach – Scholars have proposed a range of approaches to the study of identity. However, studies have typically relied on interviews or surveys with little exploration of the dynamic narrating of self-in-situ inherent to identity and identity work. The paper reviews the aforementioned methods, builds on the power of visual approaches, and proposes a method involving figurative character image-elicitation (FCI). FCI uses personal, contextual cartoon-style images to mobilize and encourage the narration of identity. The paper details the development of the approach, drawing on a pilot study, and reports its use in an exploratory study of employee identity. Findings – The results suggest that the use of FCI provides a situated focus for the narration of identity with the signifying – self-insitu – nature of the images providing room for participants to position themselves as subject. These features are also suggested to provide a safe distance for a more in-depth and expressive discussion which transcends impression management. Originality/value – The use of FCI has highlighted the power of visual methods in the exploration of identity and identity work. The approach is personally engaging and contextually adaptable providing methodological opportunities for a range of organizational and societal studies.

Women currently play a crucial role in civil aviation, however, women occupy a weak structural position largely confined to lower (technically at least) skilled jobs. As a consequence, it is anticipated that women experience high levels of workplace insecurity. Drawing on data from a large questionnaire survey of European aviation workers, the paper documents widespread perceptions of income insecurity, employment insecurity and work insecurity. The paper explains these results along with the counterintuitive finding that the majority of women in the industry report happiness with their work.

Prior research suggests that it is through providing direct support to citizens that public servants gain a source of meaning in their work; and affirm their public service identities. This article explores how employees who work in a public service support function and receive little, if any, direct feedback from citizens may maintain their public service identity during their back office work. The study finds, against much previous empirical research, that these back office employees achieve positive identity affirmation through bureaucratic work. The findings also show that they affirm their caring and community focused public service identity by noting their superiority in this regard when compared with colleagues. However, this augmented self-narrative results in many experiencing feelings of isolation. The article discusses how these findings extend the understanding of identity affirmation among back office public servants and may improve our ability to effectively support these workers.