New article in OBHDP (May 14th, 2025)

Paying off the intergenerational debt: How and why children of immigrants status-strive at work

Herrison Chicas, Shimul Melwani

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597825000184

Children of immigrants, referred to as “second-gens,” are the fastest growing segment of the labor force in developed countries. In this paper, the authors explore why second-gen employees, despite their disadvantaged upbringings, consistently outperform children of native-born parents. Drawing on psychological contract theory, the authors argue that this phenomenon is explained by the “immigrant bargain”—a unique psychological contract whereby the sacrifices of the immigrant parents are expected to be redeemed and validated by the success of the second-gen child. Formed early in life, this bargain fosters a sense of indebtedness, motivating second-gens to strive for higher organizational status (i.e., pay raise, promotion) and higher societal status (i.e., income, occupational status) as means of repaying their parents. Across seven studies using American and European samples, the authors provide robust evidence supporting their theoretical model. This work advances research on immigrant generations in organizations and enhances our understanding of how psychological contracts outside of work affect behaviors inside the workplace.

P.S. if you can’t access the full-text let us (m-kouchaki@kellogg.northwestern.edu or mikebaer@asu.edu) know and we’d be happy to share a copy.