Socioeconomic Life And Work Behaviour Of Migrant Contingent Workers: A Study At A Multinational Company In Penang, Malaysia
| dc.contributor.author | Koh, Ngee Loke | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-12-07T08:14:49Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-12-07T08:14:49Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016-05 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The thesis is a study of socioeconomic life and work behaviour of migrant contingent workers (Bangladeshi, Myanmese and Vietnamese) in the context of the global division of labour in an advance multinational electrical and electronic company in Penang, Malaysia. The study utilizes the notion of structuration and equity theory to describe factors that push wanting migrant workers to leave their home countries and to understand reasons that attract them to come to work in Malaysia. The study provides understanding on how migrant contingent workers adapt themselves to the new work environment with stringent management regulations and rules. It explains the work behaviour of these migrant workers. The study describes the transformation of the standard of living of migrant workers in the host country and their families in their home countries. The study uses a combination of different research methods (longitudinal, unobtrusive experimental design and comparative) which collects data within the structuration and motivational perspectives. The researcher takes an insider approach with authority because of his position as a supervisor. The research findings show that migrant contingent workers have low education level attainment that limit their social mobility in an environment of high unemployment and with low wages in their home countries. On the other hand, the relatively low agent fees of working in Malaysia compared to working in other countries was the main reason that explains why these migrants ended up in Malaysia. Through their hard work, migrant workers were able to ‘accumulate wealth’ which helped to transform their standard of living in the host country and also their families’ in their home countries. We discovered that migrant contingent workers’ work behaviour is shaped by several factors such as family commitments, fear of losing their job, and to earn more money to achieve their wants. It is a duality process because the demand of working more days and longer hours by the migrant workers have shaped the management policy of the company that hires them. Migrant workers who are married tend to work more days and are consistent in working more days compare to workers who have fewer children and those who are singles. On the other hand, migrant workers who are single have more flexibility to either work more or less days. Female migrant workers tend to work more days and are more consistent in working more days than male workers. Of the three different nationalities, Vietnamese workers are more relaxed and manage to ‘upgrade’ their life style and have some leisure during off days. Bangladeshi and Vietnamese respondents have better medical leave records, absenteeism records and total working days compared to Myanmese respondents. However, in terms of productivity comparison, the Myanmese and Vietnamese respondents produced more units of product and achieved the highest quality compare to Bangladeshi respondents. Myanmese and Vietnamese respondents are found to be more disciplined compare to Bangladeshi respondents but they do not embrace teamwork spirit in the production line compared to Bangladeshi respondents. The rewards strategy initiated by the company to increase productivity has limitation to motivate migrant contingent workers to build more units beyond the targeted goal. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/3258 | |
| dc.subject | Study of socioeconomic life and work behaviour of migrant contingent workers | en_US |
| dc.subject | in the context of the global division of labour | en_US |
| dc.title | Socioeconomic Life And Work Behaviour Of Migrant Contingent Workers: A Study At A Multinational Company In Penang, Malaysia | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
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