Institutional environment of employers’ interests in labour migration

Purpose Although employers are attracting increasing attention as actors influencing international labour migration, migration studies do not offer a theoretical framework for researching their multi-level influence in this field. Moreover, studies typically focus on employers' actions, especially in policymaking, and do not examine their broadly conceived interests, which sometimes influence labour migration without the employers' active involvement. This article adapts neo-institutionalist concepts, particularly the concept of the institutional environment, and offers a comprehensive theoretical framework for studying employers' interests in labour migration. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper operationalises the institutional environment concept by offering a matrix of institutions within this environment that must be considered when researching employers' interests in international labour migration. Findings These institutions are classified as related to the sphere of the labour market, immigration or political processes, and as operating on one of three levels of social analysis proposed by Williamson (2000a): the level of informal rules, formal rules or the play of the game. Research limitations/implications The paper suggests a new route for researching the employers' role in migration, based on New Institutional Economics concepts. It draws upon academic publications on European employers, without offering its own empirical results. Further steps will be necessary to translate this framework into methodological steps, which may be specific to the study of the employers' role and interests in particular cases and contexts. Practical implications This article is meant primarily for social scientists researching migration or mobility within such fields as economics, political science, sociology or management. By offering a broad conceptual framework, it aims to stimulate new research avenues and build bridges across disciplines and various levels of analysis (micro, meso and macro). In particular, it directs research towards the question of the role of employers' interests in migration. This role has been underresearched in part due to the employers' almost complete absence from migration theories. Social implications Public debates around immigration in the Western world today present migration mainly as resulting from push factors in the countries of origin of migrants and as facilitated by intermediaries, including smugglers. The discourse around migration is highly securitised, while economic arguments play a secondary role. This paper contributes to rebalancing the debate by bringing to the fore and facilitating the study of the role of employers in destination countries, who are fundamental in creating demand for migrant workers, and thus pull factors for international labour migration. Originality/value The proposed matrix can serve as a comprehensive framework for studying the institutional environment that channels employers' pursuit of interests related to international labour migration. Reverting to neo-institutional concepts opens up new possibilities for researching the under-researched topic of employers' interests in migration. While this framework draws on studies from Europe, it can be used to research employers' interests across all democratic market economies.