Do Transnational Child-Raising Arrangements Affect Job Outcomes of Migrant Parents? Comparing Angolan Parents in Transnational and NonTransnational Families in the Netherlands

Abstract

Transnational family literature has established that parent–child separations affect negatively on the emotional well-being of migrant parents. Less attention has been paid to other effects separation can have on these parents’ lives. Building on insights from transnational family studies and organizational psychology, this article explores the potential link between transnational family life and job outcomes. In particular, two potential negative outcomes are analyzed—job instability and job absenteeism—by comparing Angolan parents whose children live in Angola with Angolans who live with all their children in the Netherlands. Based on mechanisms identified by organizational psychology literature, mediation analysis is conducted. Results indicate that transnational family life increases the times migrant parents change jobs, which is partly mediated by low levels of happiness. Further analyses indicate that especially transnational parents who have limited contact with their children change jobs more often. No significant differences are found with regard to job absenteeism.

Migrant Workers and the Right to Family Accompaniment: A Case for Family Rights in International Law and in Canada

“…Paralleling these findings, a growing body of empirical research, drawing from the Happy Productive Worker Thesis (i.e., happiness stimulates activity and work involvement) is showing that migrant parents who live separated from their children generally experience lower subjective well‐being than parents who live with their children, and hence, perform less at their job than do migrant workers who live with their children in the destination state (see e.g. Haagman, & Haagman, , 4‐7). Since higher levels of subjective well‐being among migrants lead to greater work productivity, but also to better physical health and enhanced social skills (Bartram, ; Ivlevs, ), policymakers in Canada – and across the world – should be interested in attracting and retaining happy and satisfied migrants.…”

Transnational fathers: New theoretical and conceptual challenges

“…Families' access to methods of consistent contact, even when used only occasionally, can lessen the degree of boundary ambiguity, and thus buffer the distress due to the ambiguous loss of separation. (Solheim & Ballard, 2016, p. 347) When transnational fathers are in limited contact with their children, this can have a negative impact on their work success; lower contact between fathers and children is linked to greater job instability (Haagsman, 2018), which suggests that there may be a transactional relation between father occupational success and child contact.…”

“…Due to restrictions imposed by employers, temporary migrant farm workers have few opportunities to socialize with native Canadians, which, in turn, contributes to increased feelings of social isolation. Transnational Angolan parents in the Netherlands, compared with nontransnational parents, changed jobs more frequently, and job changes were linked to lower levels of life satisfaction among the transnational parents (Haagsman, 2018). In a survey (Cookston et al, 2016), 45% of Mexican transnational parents were either somewhat or extremely dissatisfied with being separated from their children, whereas 43% were satisfied with this situation.…”

Expanding transnational care networks: comparing caring for families with caring for homes

“…Remittances are often a central reason why individuals embark on transnational labour migration (Coe 2016;Haagsman 2018). When migrants depart a (developing) country of origin, they often do so to provide for 'left behind', dependent family members.…”