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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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