Effects of Organizational Factors on Identification of Young Returnees from Urban Areas with Rural Societies – A Perspective of Adaptability

To stimulate local socio-economic development in developing 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 developing 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 developing countries trying to enhance social identification and social adaptation of return migrants from the urban to the rural.