Abstract:

Despite growing reliance on migrant labor across European economies, employer engagement in migrant support remains limited and poorly understood. This study examines the drivers of employer support activities for migrant workers using a Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework applied to a sample of 600 Polish firms. Applying PLS-SEM, I test whether structural exposure to migrants and external pressure (Stimuli) drive support activities (Response) through employer perceptions of migrant skills (Organism). The findings reveal a striking result: contrary to theoretical expectations, employer attitudes play no mediating role. Support behavior is structurally determined – firms support migrants because of how many they employ and the pressures they face, not because of how they evaluate migrant human capital. Structural exposure emerges as the dominant and most robust predictor, while sector context and contract type shape how employers perceive migrant skills. These findings challenge attitude-based models of employer behavior and point toward structural and institutional levers as more promising targets for policy intervention aimed at improving migrant workers' conditions.

Speaker bibliograhical note:

Olena Shelest-Szumilas, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Department of Education and Personnel Development at the Poznan University of Economics and Business (Poland). Originally from Donetsk (Ukraine), she conducts research on migration and integration processes, as well as labor market dynamics. She is the author and co-author of numerous publications and research reports addressing topics such as human capital investment risk, youth competencies, and the labor market situation of migrants. Her work is strongly practice-oriented, and she collaborates with labor market institutions and local governments. Since December 2022, she has been serving as the Rector's Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment. In June 2023, she joined the Council for Migrant Integration at the Poznan City Hall. She is also engaged in various initiatives supporting social inclusion, diversity, and evidence-based policymaking.