Surviving the maze: exploring elite migrant experiences of diversity, hierarchy and status in the global diaspora

Amidst the increasing occurrence of elite migration worldwide, we address underexplored aspects of elite migrant experiences in new national and organizational contexts, focusing on issues of diversity, hierarchy, and status among and between elite migrants and already established residents of the destination country. While existing research has examined factors like assimilation, acculturation, and education, there has been limited exploration of how differences among migrants influence their organizational standing and outcomes relative to each other and to native populations. These factors are compelling as well for elite migrants, who merit consideration as a part of the global diaspora of highly skilled and educated, high human capital migrants in particular demand in the global knowledge economy. The concept of status, defined by the relative position within a group, has received considerable scholarly attention over time, alongside the companion concept of status incongruence, meaning a psychological dissonance arising from the perception and reality of the differential behaviors even elite migrants can encounter due to diversity characteristics-whether related to race, ethnicity, religion, country of origin, documentation, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, or any other salient dimensions of difference-that have traditionally corresponded to unequal treatment and outcomes. Migrant hierarchy (status relative to other migrants and pre-existing populations) and migrant diversity (distinct from indigenous diversity experiences) are fruitful areas of exploration for better understanding the unfolding experiences of diverse, highly skilled migrants in new work settings. Drawing on foundations in hierarchy, status, and diversity, we explore how migrant diversity, in the broader realm of diversity, shapes the experiences of elite migrants from varying backgrounds, heading toward varying global destinations, in navigating their new professional environment.