Abstract
To stimulate local socio-economic development in develo** countries, it is effective to attract the young generation for employment and entrepreneurship back at hometowns, by improving their identification with rural societies, and focusing on organizational factors. Whether youths returned from urban areas can fully release their potential mainly depends on their adaptability to the new environment after return. In this empirical study we explored effects of organizational factors on identification of young returnees with local societies. In China, the biggest develo** country in the world, there are a large number of people returning from urban areas, and the Chinese government attaches great importance to making them play a positive role. Data were collected from 2202 questionnaires across 31 provinces. Results showed that organizational factors in rural societies can effectively enhance material, relational, and individual adaptation of returnees, thus improving their identification with rural societies. Material adaptation, including spending style, employment structure, as well as social security, is the external foundation of identification. Individual adaptation, including self-identification, self-efficacy and self-expectation, is the inner driver for returnees to identify with rural societies. Blood, professional, and geopolitical relations provide strong social support for returnees. Additionally, there is no sufficient evidence to determine that group adaptation is a significant factor influencing identification. This article enriched the study in the field of returnees’ social adaptation from the perspective of organization, and provided evidence and support for develo** countries trying to enhance social identification and social adaptation of return migrants from the urban to the rural.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Availability of data and materials
Data in this article were from the project instructed by Professor Shen Feiwei and awarded the grand prize at the 17th Zhejiang “Challenge Cup” for national undergraduate curricular academic science and technology works – “Return and Adaptation: Challenges for and Reactions of Returnees When Adapting to Rural Societies – An Investigative Study Based on 2202 Returnees from 590 counties in 27 provinces”.
References
Admiraal, W., & Lockhorst, D. (2009). E-Learning in small and medium-sized enterprises across Europe Attitudes towards Technology, Learning and Training. International Small Business Journal-Researching Entrepreneurship, 27(6), 743–767. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242609344244.
Andreeva, V. A., Unger, J. B., Yaroch, A. L., Cockburn, M. G., Baezconde-Garbanati, L., & Reynolds, K. D. (2009). Acculturation and sun-safe behaviors among us latinos: Findings from the 2005 health information national trends survey. American Journal of Public Health, 99(4), 734. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2007.122796.
Barcevicius, E. (2016). How successful are highly qualified return Migrants in the Lithuanian Labour. Market? International Migration, 54(3), 35–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12224.
Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M., & Tucker, J. S. (2007). Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(3), 707–721. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.707.
Berry, J. W. (2010). Immigration, Acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46(1), https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x.
Bettin, G., Cela, E., & Fokkema, T. (2018). Return intentions over the life course: Evidence on the effects of life events from a longitudinal sample of first- and second-generation turkish migrants in Germany. Demographic Research, 39, 1009–1038. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2018.39.38.
Bijwaard, G. (2015). Income of immigrants and their return. World of Labor. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15185/izawol.141
Bohnert, A. M., Aikins, J. W., %J, J., & Journal of Adolescent Research Edidin. (2007). The Role of Organized Activities in Facilitating Social Adaptation Across the Transition to College. 22 (2):189–208. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558406297940
Bokhan, T. G., Galazhinsky, E. D., Terekhina, O. V., Ul’yanich, A. L., & Bogomaz, S. A. (2020). Personal determinants of the subjective quality of life among Working Rural and Urban Youth. Sibirskiy Psikhologicheskiy Zhurnal-Siberian Journal of Psychology, (77), 68–89. https://doi.org/10.17223/17267080/77/4.
Cai, F. (2012). Reports on China’s Population and Labour. Human Resource Development of China (8):26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16471/j.cnki.11-2822/c.2012.08.003
Casalo, L. V., Flavian, C., & Guinaliu, M. (2013). New members’ integration: Key factor of success in online travel communities. Journal of Business Research, 66(6), 706–710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.09.007.
Chang, W. S., & Jung, N. S. (2013). Analysis on community consciousness of leaders and members of rural village community organizations by types - case study on yesan gun -. Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning, 19(2), https://doi.org/10.7851/ksrp.2013.19.2.051.
Cicognani, E., Menezes, I., & Nata, G. (2011). University students’ sense of belonging to the home town: The role of residential mobility. Social Indicators Research, 104(1), 33–45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9716-2.
Coyne, J. C., & DeLongis, A. (1986). Going beyond social support: The role of social relationships in adaptation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54(4), 454–460. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.54.4.454.
De Bree, June, T., Davids, & Hein De Haas. (2010). Post-return experiences and transnational belonging of return migrants: A dutch-moroccan case study. Global Networks-a Journal of Transnational Affairs, 10(4), 489–509. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0374.2010.00299.x.
De Haas, H., & Fokkema, T. (2011). The effects of integration and transnational ties on international return migration intentions. Demographic Research, 25, 755–782. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2011.25.24.
Del Aguila-Obra, A. R., & Padilla-Melendez, A. (2006). Organizational factors affecting internet technology adoption. Internet Research, 16(1), 94–110. https://doi.org/10.1108/10662240610642569.
Demurger, S., & Xu, H. (2011). Return Migrants: The rise of New Entrepreneurs in Rural China. World Development, 39(10), 1847–1861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2011.04.027.
Depraz, N., & Gallagher, S. (2002). Phenomenology and the cognitive sciences. Phenomenology & the Cognitive Sciences, 1(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015514701437.
Franceschini, I., Siu, K., & Chan, A. (2016). The “Rights Awakening” of chinese migrant workers: Beyond the generational perspective. Critical Asian Studies, 48(3), 422–442. https://doi.org/10.1080/14672715.2016.1189838.
Fuller, J. B., Hester, K., Barnett, T., Frey, L., Relyea, C., & Beu, D. (2006). Perceived external prestige and internal respect: New insights into the organizational identification process. Human Relations, 59(6), 815–846. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726706067148.
Germenji, E., & Milo, L. (2009). Return and labour status at home: Evidence from returnees in Albania. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 9(4), 497–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683850903314998.
Gersick, C. J. G., Bartunek, J. M., & Dutton, J. E. (2000). Learning from academia: The importance of relationship in professional life. The Academy of Management Journal, 43(6), 1026–1044. https://doi.org/10.2307/1556333.
Gorlach, K., Klekotko, M., & Nowak, P. (2014). Culture and Rural Development: Voices from Poland. Eastern European Countryside, 20(1), 5–26. https://doi.org/10.2478/eec-2014-0001.
Guo, Y. H. (1994). Traditional kinship in the process of rural modernization. Sociological Research, (6), 49–58. https://doi.org/10.19934/j.cnki.shxyj.1994.06.012.
Horton, S. B. (2013). Medical returns as Class Transformation: Situating migrants’ medical returns within a Framework of Transnationalism. Medical Anthropology, 32(5), 417–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2012.749875.
Herbert Spencer. (1996). Social Statics. Bei**g: The Commercial Press.
Hua, J., Fan, J. Y., Walker, A., Hou, N., Zheng, L., & Debode, J. (2019). Examinations of the role of individual adaptability in Cross-Cultural Adjustment. Journal of Career Assessment, 27(3), 490–509. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072718765193.
Ipek, C. (2010). Predicting organizational commitment from organizational culture in turkish primary schools. Asia Pacific Education Review, 11(3), 371–385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-010-9097-x.
Jeon, M., Ahn, O., & An, M. (2019). Immigrant vietnamese women’s adaptation to culture and society in rural areas of Korea. Plos One, 14(2), 17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212265.
Jones, L., & Boyd, E. (2011). Exploring social barriers to adaptation: Insights from Western Nepal. Global Environmental Change-Human and Policy Dimensions, 21(4), 1262–1274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.06.002.
Katada, T., Hirobata, Y., & Aoshima, N. (1990). A dynamic out/in-migration model for rural depopulation problems. Doboku Gakkai Ronbunshu, (419), 105–114. https://doi.org/10.2208/jscej.1990.419_105.
Ketzer, Lsh, J., Salvagni, A. P., Oltramati, & Menezes, D. B. (2018). Imigração, identidade e multiculturalismo nas organizações brasileiras. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20435/inter.v19i3.1673
Kunuroglu, F., Yagmur, K., van de Vijver, F. J. R., & Kroon, S. (2015). Consequences of turkish return migration from Western Europe. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 49, 198–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.i**trel.2015.10.004.
Li, H. Z. (2013). Blood, Geopolitical and Professional Ties: Transformation of New Urbanites’Social Relations. Journal of Shenzhen University: Humanities and Social Sciences Edition (4): 113–119.https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?FileName=SZDS201304025&DbName=CJFQ2013
Liu, Y. C., Huang, Y. A., & Lin, C. (2012). Organizational factors’ Effects on the success of E-Learning Systems and Organizational benefits: An empirical study in Taiwan. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13(4), 130–151. https://doi.org/10.13246/j.cnki.iae.2018.08.010.
Liu, Z. Y., & Jiang, S. (2019). Chenggui”:“Return of Man” in rural revitalization. Issues in Agricultural Economy, 470(2), 45–54. https://doi.org/10.13246/j.cnki.iae.2019.02.006.
Luthar, S. S. (2005). Resilience at an early age and its impact on child psychosocial development. environment. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00164
Mensah, E. A. (2016). Involuntary Return Migration and Reintegration. The case of ghanaian migrant workers from Libya. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 17(1), 303–323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-014-0407-8.
Mestries, F. (2013). Los migrantes de retorno ante un futuro incierto. Sociológica (México), 28(78), 171–212. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=305026407006.
Mohabir, N., Jiang, Y., & Ma. (2017). Ren fe ng, &. Chinese floating migrants: rural-urban migrant labourers’ intentions to stay or return. Habitat International.60:101–110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2016.12.008
Mohamed, M. A., & Abdul-Talib, A. N. (2020). Push-pull factors influencing international return migration intentions: A systematic literature review. Journal of Enterprising Communities-People and Places in the Global Economy, 14(2), 231–246. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-01-2020-0004.
Montoya-Ortiz, M. S., & Gonzalez-Becerril, J. G. (2015). Evolution of the migration of return in Mexico: migrants from United States 1995 and 1999 to 2014.Papeles De Poblacion21 (85):47–78. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/etep.453
Niedomysl, T., & Jan Amcoff. (2011). Why Return Migrants Return: Survey evidence on motives for Internal Return Migration in Sweden. Population Space and Place, 17(5), 656–673. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.644.
Ralph, D. (2012). Managing sameness and difference: The politics of belonging among irish-born return migrants from the United States. Social & Cultural Geography, 13(5), 445–460. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2012.698747.
Rotberg, F. J. Y. (2010). Social networks and adaptation in rural Bangladesh. Climate and Development, 2(1), 65–72. https://doi.org/10.3763/cdev.2010.0031.
Schneider, B., Ehrhart, M. G., & Macey, W. H. (2013). Organizational climate and culture. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 361–388. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315857664.
Shaowei, Chen, Z., & Liu (2016). What determines the settlement intention of rural migrants in china? Economic incentives versus sociocultural conditions - sciencedirect. Habitat International, 58(1), 42–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2016.09.004.
Shen, F. W., Zou, J., Huang, X. H., Wang, C., & Zhao, M. J. (2022). Career development, institutional factors, social factors and urban young returnees’ happiness in the context of healthy China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 3979. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159379.
Shuai, X. L. (2020). Building the “New Fourth Army” of Rural Governance. Zhejiang Economy 675 (1):14–19. https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/42.1224.G3.20120523.1615.015.html
Sluss, D. M., & Ashforth, B. E. (2008). How relational and organizational identification Converge: Processes and conditions. Organization Science, 19(6), 807–823. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1070.0349.
Studer, S. (2013). and G. von Schnurbein. Organizational Factors Affecting Volunteers: A Literature Review on Volunteer Coordination. Voluntas 24 (2):403–440. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-012-9268-y
Sussman, N. M. (2010). Return Migration and Identity: A Global Phenomenon, a Hong Kong Case. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. https://doi.org/10.5790/hongkong/9789888028832.001.0001.
Taima, M., & Asami, Y. (2020). Determinants and policies of native metropolitan young workers’ migration toward non-metropolitan areas in Japan. Cities, 102, 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2020.102733.
Tamura, T. (2019). Effect of Perceived parent-child relationship in Childhood on Resilience in Japanese Youth. Psychological Reports, 122(2), 485–505. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294118762504.
Van Houte, M., & Davids, T. (2008). Development and Return Migration: From policy panacea to migrant perspective sustainability. Third World Quarterly, 29(7), 1411–1429. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20455117.
Van Knippenberg, D., & Sleebos, E. (2006). Organizational identification versus organizational commitment: Self-definition, social exchange, and job attitudes. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(5), 571–584. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.359.
Wang, M. O., Zhan, Y., Mccune, E., & Truxillo, D. (2011). Understanding newcomers’ adaptability and work-related outcomes: Testing the mediating roles of perceived p–e fit variables. Personnel Psychology, 64(1), 163–189. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2010.01205.x.
Wang, W., & Fan, C. C. (2012). Migrant workers’ integration in Urban China: Experiences in Employment, Social Adaptation, and self-identity. Eurasian Geography and Economics, 53(6), 731–749. https://doi.org/10.2747/1539-7216.53.6.731.
Wei, Y. D., Lin, J., & Zhang, L. (2020). E-Commerce, Taobao Villages and Regional Development in China. Geographical Review, 110(3), 380–405. https://doi.org/10.1111/gere.12367.
Whisler, R. L., Waldorf, B. S., Mulligan, G. F., & Plane, D. A. (2008). Quality of life and the migration of the college-educated: A life-course approach. Growth and Change, 39(1), 58–94. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2257.200700405.x.
Wong, D. F. K., Li, C. Y., & Song, H. X. (2007). Rural migrant workers in urban China: Living a marginalised life. International Journal of Social Welfare, 16(1), 32–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2397.2007.00475.x.
Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2007). The role of personal resources in the job demands-resources model. International Journal of Stress Management, 14(2), 121–141. https://doi.org/10.1037/1072-5245.14.2.121.
**a, J. M., & Kong, X. L. (2019). City to Rural” Phenomenon: Value Orientation, practical basis and guiding Trend. Economist, (12), 58–67. https://doi.org/10.16158/j.cnki.51-1312/f.2019.12.006.
**e, S., Chen, J., Ritakallio, V. M., & Leng, X. (2021). Welfare migration or migrant selection? Social insurance participation and rural migrants’intentions to seek permanent urban settlement in China. Urban Studies, 58(10), 1983–2003. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098020936153.
**n, Y., Li, Q. Y., & Liu, C. J. (2019). Adolescent self-esteem and social adaptation: Chain mediation of peer trust and perceived social support. Social Behavior and Personality, 47(4), 9. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.7870.
Yang, G., Li, L., & Fu, S. (2020). Do rural migrants benefit from labor market agglomeration economies? Evidence from chinese cities. Growth and Change, 51, https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12417.
Yang, J. Z., Chen, Y. X., & Ma, H. Q. (2012). The impact of Organizational structure on employees’ innovative behavior: A perspective based on Role Identity Theory. Science & Technology Progress and Policy, 29, 129–134.
Yin, J., Huang, X., Dong, Y., Zhao, M., & Tan, W. (2021). Dual-level impact of regional context and individual attributes on entrepreneurship among return migrants in China. Growth and Change. https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12480.
Yin, L. (1985). Modernization of men: Psychology, thinking, attitude, behavior. Sichuan: Sichuan People’s Publishing House.
Yue, Z., Li, S., Feldman, M. W., & Du, H. (2010). Floating choices: A generational perspective on intentions of rural-urban migrants in china. Environment & Planning A, 42(3), 545. https://doi.org/10.1068/a42161.
Zelner, J. L., Trostle, J., Goldstick, J. E., Cevallos, W., House, J. S., & Eisenberg, J. N. (2012). Social connectedness and disease transmission: Social organization, cohesion, village context, and infection risk in rural Ecuador. American journal of public health, 102(12), 2233–2239. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300795.
Zhang, J. H., Yan, L. X., Qiu, H. Y., & Dai, B. R. (2018). Social adaptation of chinese left-behind children: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 95, 308–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.11.012.
Zhang, L., & Wang, G. X. (2010). Urban citizenship of rural migrants in reform-era China. Citizenship Studies, 14(2), 145–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/13621021003594809.
Zhou, X. (2003). Ten Lectures on Organizational Sociology. Bei**g: Social Science Literature Press.
Zhou, X. H. (2002). History and Systems of western sociology volume 1, classical contributions. Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Press.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Cai **nmeng, Zhu Mingjie, Chen Kai, Zhou Sunqing, Liu **ang, Xu Zejian, Wang Ruobing and others, who participated in the project. We also grateful to Ren Jia and Lyu Yue, who helped polish the paper.
Funding
This study was supported by National Social Science Foundation Youth Program- “Research on the Rights Protection of Rural ‘Digital Vulnerable Groups’ from the Perspective of Inclusive Governance” (Project No. 22CZZ015). This study was supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation – “Promote studies on digital rural governance in Yangtze River Delta under the 14th five-year plan” (Project No. 2021M702796).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Shen Feiwei: conceptualization, Methodology. Ye Wenxin: Visualization, Investigation Writing—Original draft preparation. Wang Cong: Methodology, Software, Validation. Huang **anhong: Methodology, Writing-Review and editing. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and company.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Shen, F., Ye, W., Wang, C. et al. Effects of Organizational Factors on Identification of Young Returnees from Urban Areas with Rural Societies – A Perspective of Adaptability. Soc Indic Res 167, 363–390 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-023-03092-y
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-023-03092-y