JULIA BOGER
THE
JOB HUNTRETURN MIGRATION AND LABOUR MARKET ENTRIES
OF CAMEROONIAN AND GHANAIAN GRADUATES
FROM GERMAN UNIVERSITIES
World University Service
ISCHARPZ43 Jg. 2014
Based on cyclic multi-local fieldwork in Cameroon, Ghana and Germany, this interdisciplinary study dedicatesitself to the migration and development nexus - a broadtopic that has become increasingly significant in today’sincreasingly mobile world, not only in termsof scientific research but also from a policy perspective. At the corestand the return migration conceptions and job search processes of returning Ghanaian and Cameroonian graduateswho pursuedtheir education in Germany. Job hunting in so-called intransparent labour markets is, learning fromGhanaians and Cameroonians who returned after studying in Germany, a lengthy process that sometimes requiresmore than simply having a good education. Even though the returning academics are mostly well-equipped withknowledge, they need further resources. These resources for obtaining suitable wage employment are personalcontacts, social networks, financial capital und a genuine knowledge of the home country’s labour marketconditions. As the author shows, a successful labour market entry highly depends on these resources and howthey are combined by the job searchers. By identifying their specific job entry patterns in their local labour marketcontext, the author takes up current debates surrounding issues of job search processes, social capital and returnmigration. By furthering our understanding of the social dynamics of the job search process and the impact ofstudies abroad for developmentand progress, this study not only contributes to the growing field of migrationand development, but also reveals important implications for the understanding of networking relationships ina global, so-called transnationalsociety.
Julia Boger studied Social Anthropology, Geography and Comparative Literature at Johannes-Gutenberg-Universityin Mainz. Following several years of practitioner’s experience in the field of reintegration subsidies at the Germancommittee of World University Service e.V. (WUS), she completed her PhD in Sociology in 2014 at the BayreuthInternational Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS) in Bayreuth, Germany. Currently, she is working atWUS as an officer, supporting international graduates’ return migration and their labour market entries.
ISBN 978-3-922845-49-2
ISSN 09376569
Thejob hunt. Return migration and labour market entries of Ghanaian and Came-roonian graduates from German universities
AUSZEIT 48, Nr. 1/2, Jg. 43, 2014
Contents
RE OU FigurBs.eneeenennsnnisssnesnsnsesemEEEiv
List of Tables Hntsenssntsnsennesnssnnsssnssnssssssnnssnssnnssnssensensstnssnsssnssnssensnsensesnssnnensssnennn V
EIREEAUBEOTEREEeevi
EDWENERRRENERseinesreee1
1. ERGEBEN.nesssenessnerinsstsnasahsneneenseinrennenTEN3
2. Migration and developmentin Africa .cccsssessssnesesensenennnnnnnnnnnnn 162.1 The Migration Development Nexus....cccacncnnn 1822 Returning migrants: drivers of development?....nnnnnnnnnn... 232.3 Empirical studies:on retum...........scssssescsenesensnsesisiankenenenndnnnnnnnn 342.4 NERRRSIDE DENE HGERTEUDEaan402:5 Theoretical models explaining return migrationnn...46
3. Getting a job: what or who you knoW?.anasnseseennesenensnennnennnnnnnnnnnnnnn 533.1 “What you know’ — human capital.....uccnencnnnnnn 553.2 "Who You.know’ — social capital...seien.583.3 From university to work in Sub-Saharan Africann.70
4, DECESERBIERnesnörgenginnsnenneieTenbnicnböbeshutdenäsdudsssssneee 744.1 Multi-sited and focussed fieldwork......unnannanannannnnnnnnn 44.2 IS EDIT GE EIG...aekureeneraeerepieeee esmente 844.3 Research as an embeddedpractitioner....unccnnannannnnnnnnnnnn. 864.4 BANREENE GEOWENineneeel924.5 Analysing data and developing a tyPologyeenre984.6 Sampling and profile of the interviewees......nnnnnn. 101
5. The countrycontexts: Cameroon and Ghana.rrceeenncneaannnnnnn. 1063:1 Fragile state versus consolidated democracy...unananannnannnnnnnnn.. 1073.4 DENNeenee1103.3 Labour markets andnetworks... 138
ii
6.6.16.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
7.1
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I
7.4
4.9
7.6
8.1
8.2
8.3
9,
9.1
9.2
9.3
10.
11.14.1
11.2
"113
12.
13.
AClleVingsinnesense 166
BIweten173
BEREREEEENSEÄEERESEE8
Decaming MBEPendentuni185
Sponsored Cameroonians and achieving Ghanaians.................... 196
SIR TE BRVE I EBENeen200EIIE DIEBE DIESEeen203
EDET CORBERUONEnn214
Broken...TEDIE221
Ieier226
BEBIERneaen232
NETWORKS a0CHITDER..rien241
PPIODERURGIENE TENORDEBELY snsccssnsncssenssschsasuchstesinneseelhesseekktsnsentsnnsenesätees 253Job mobility: career setback or stepping stone.......nuneecneeseneeennennnn- 255
Women’8 Careal8iinARTENFREHBen266
Regional diepattiasH::.2.SERIESEen 279
The impact on development.....ssssssssssesssssssssnseseken295Individual level...REERTNRLTE Nen 297
Institutional level...AREITHenn 304
Structural. levelA.SEENNEEes 312
The job hunt: conclusions .............eriiiiicedeOO320
ADDERGICES.iensereensinesaninennsennnesnsenngerennngenen335MNTIERE IS NERTEEERNERae nce-andsenmpennehonaunnsanuna benennen 333
Appendix B: Lists of interviews/ eveniS...........cesocneeosorsonnonsnnnenenee 337
DEREN SEHBERNBRORR en enasananen nr essnonee te snsnenen rarekanal 3>1
RERErENEBB„minniersseeneernrngeiyeisespichinsTeererer353
Listing of available AUSZEIT-issues ..eserssconsseccnreeoussntsissegreereeeen 405
ill
List of Figures
Figure 1: Scheme of knowledgetransfer levels...uni
Figure 2: Cassarino's scheme ofreturn preparedness.....nmenmssessneseseenenenen 51
Figure 3: Research timeline 2008-2011. ....mmessesenennensnnsannenaenennseneneneneennnnnen 80
Figure 4: Cameroonian and Ghanaian first-year students in Germany........ 118
Figure 5: Cameroonian and Ghanaian students in Germany. ...uenen- 119
Figure 6: Regionaldistribution offirst-year students in Germany............ 124
Figure 7: Scheme of resource activation ..eeseenesennenennenennneennnnsnssnennsnennennnnnann 163
Figure 8: Comparing the labour market entry patterns.....nunesesessesseenseenennen 198
Figure 9: Comparison of personal contactsin the job search................ 200
Figure 10: Scheme of ‘being blocked’. .......eeeeesesenenennnnsnsnnsnenennnnsnsensnnnnn 200
Figure 11: Organisation of alumni networks in Cameroon until 2007. ....... 200
Figure 12: Organisation of alumni networks in Cameroonsince 2007 ....... 244
Figure 13: Communication in a naturally developed clique in Ghana........ 252
Figure 14: Regional distribution of returned Cameroonians ...aneennn 280
Figure 15: Regional distribution of returned Ghanaians..........eee: 289
Figure 16: Levels of knowledgetransfer............umsumuennnesnnsnennennnnnennseneenen 297
iv
List of Tables
Table 1: 'The.data 30u1088.......2:Neleanuiidan 92
Table 2: Coded categories, dimensions and features............uuuesennesnenneeennnno 100
Table 3: Demographic profile of interviewees.............200402000400000n00snnn nennen 104
Table 4: Comparing Cameroonian and Ghanaian migrants in Germany..... 117
Table 5: Comparison offields ofstudies in Germany..........u..u00us0ssennn 120
Table 6: Estimated tracking rate of graduates 2000-2010 ........uuueeeenneennnnneo- 138
Table 7: Economy and labour marketfeatures...............uusss02000ss000neeeeeenen 142
Table.8: Employing industries of interviewees. ......uusssssnssennnssennneenenneneennnnn 147
Table 9: Alumni associations in Cameroon.............uuu-es00s000nnnnnnnnnnnnennnnen 156
Table 10: Alumniassociations in Ghana.................ussss00ssssnnnsnnnenennneneennnn 160
Table 11: Patterns of labour marketentries and activated resources........... 164
Table 12: Personal contacts ofjob searchers andtheir function.................- 202
Table 13: Vertical mobility of returned graduates’ careers.......................... 257
Table 14: Salary increase according to industry............uss00u00000000nnnseeeenenene 258
Table 15: Comparison of starting salary according to gender..................... 268
Table 16: Comparison ofpersonal contacts used by women......................- 277
Table 17: CORIDSWOR OF RRONISS.onen323