The work environment of practitioners working with migrants may be very demanding as they are frequently exposed to the sad narratives of such a vulnerable population, the lack of professional support, or the frequent change of policies towards refugees and asylum seekers. Little research has been conducted to explore the job satisfaction of practitioners working with migrants and the organizational characteristics that can hinder or promote such satisfaction. The present study investigated the relationship between work-related barriers (i.e., intra-organizational, legal, and interaction-related barriers) and job satisfaction of practitioners working with migrants, also testing if perceived organizational efficacy is mediating this relation. This study was part of a larger European funded project, and participants were 428 First-Line Practitioners working with migrants in various sectors (e.g., social and health services, immigration and asylum services, or border guards) and working in several European countries. Data were collected through an online survey in the period between October and December 2020. Results showed that intra-organizational and legal barriers had a negative impact on job satisfaction, while interaction-related barriers did not have any. Perceived organizational efficacy mediated the relationship between two work-related barriers (intra-organizational and interaction-related barriers) and job satisfaction. These findings suggest that organizations working with migrants should focus on addressing intra-organizational and legal barriers, and on implementing actions aimed at building employees’ collective efficacy beliefs to improve their job satisfaction.

Grounded in the dual frame of reference theory and a life-course perspective, this study explores how migrants’ past work experiences shape the perceptions of their actual work in the host country. The study examines pre- and post-migration working conditions and life satisfaction and compares them to perceptions of decent work (DW). Additionally, the study also compares the DW perceptions of migrants with prior work experience in their home country with those of migrants who lack such experience and started to work in the host country. Using the Decent Work Questionnaire (DWQ), the study analyzes responses from 137 participants. A two-step cluster analysis identified three distinct groups of migrants living in Italy with pre-migration work experience in their home country. These clusters have been labeled as follows: (1) “Better Life, Better Work”, (2) “Better Life, Worse Work”, and (3) “Same Life, Worse Work”. ANOVA results showed that the better life, better work group reported significantly higher overall DW perceptions, as well as higher scores on five out of the seven dimensions of the DWQ. Socio-demographic characteristics were further analyzed to explain variations across clusters. These findings highlight the complex interplay between pre- and post-migration experiences and their impact on migrants’ DW perceptions in their current roles. Additionally, such clusters were compared with a control group that does not have prior work experience in the home country. Results suggest that time-sensitive factors but also other factors, such as expectations, may determine those perceptions. Finally, the study offers practical recommendations for improving workplace conditions and provides insights for organizations and policymakers aiming to better support economic migrants’ integration in the workplaces.

This study investigates, in a sample of journalists, the relationship between meeting job expectations and professional role identity. Specifically, job expectations concerning career development, remuneration, and relationships with users were examined, while professional role identity was contextualised to the field of journalism. Following Mellado, we conceptualized journalists’ role identity as composed by the three dimensions of watchdog, propagandist, and citizen-oriented. An online questionnaire was administered from December 2021 to January 2022 and 74 Gambian journalists living in Gambia and in European countries answered the survey. The results indicated that job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between meeting the expectations of the relationship with users and the citizen-oriented role identity. Additionally, job satisfaction mediated the relationship between met expectations of career development and both citizen-oriented and watchdog professional role identities. These findings suggest that meeting expectations of career development and interaction with citizens is related to journalists’ role identities focused on controlling the political and economic establishment and empowering people. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.