Gender differences in labour market integration trajectories of recently arrived migrants in the Netherlands

This study investigates gender differences in recently arrived migrants’ labour market activity and occupational status both shortly after arrival and with increasing length of stay. We examine the role of education, household composition and traditional gender role values by estimating multi-group multilevel models based on three waves of the New Immigrants to the Netherlands Survey. In line with findings regarding gender gaps in labour market behaviour, recent female migrants are less active on labour market than their male counterparts, and we observe a clear motherhood penalty and fatherhood premium on the number of hours worked. Men and women show only marginal differences in their occupational statuses. Changes over time do not differ between men and women, indicating persistent gender inequality in labour market attainment. Moreover, interesting differences between the nationalities were found. Polish migrants show the highest activity levels and lowest occupational status, also when compared to Bulgarians. Spanish migrants hold the highest occupational statuses. Recent Turkish migrants seem to be better integrated and show fewer gender differences than the more established Turkish minority in the Netherlands.     

Labor Force Participation of Immigrant Women in the Netherlands: Do Traditional Partners Hold Them Back?

Female labor force participation (FLFP) rates often vary across ethnic groups. This study examined the role of the partner's labor market resources and gender role attitudes for FLFP in different ethnic groups. Cross‐sectional data of women in partnerships from the four biggest immigrant groups in the Netherlands and from a native Dutch control group were analyzed. Traditional gender role attitudes of partners were negatively related to FLFP and partly explained ethnic differences therein. Moreover, across all groups, the relation between partners’ labor market resources and FLFP was more negative for traditional women and rather absent for egalitarian women.     

Book review

W.G.Cochran: Sampling Techniques, 3rd. Ed. John Wiley & Sons, New York-Santa Barbara-London-Sydney-Toronto 1977. 428 S., £ 12.50; $21.50.

H.Toutenburg: Vorhersage in linearen Modellen. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1975, VIII, 176b S., 3 Tab., 28,– M.

O.Kallenberg: Random Measure. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1975; Academic Press, London 1976. 104 pp., 28,– M.     

Strategic Grading in the Product Acquisition Process of a Reverse Supply Chain

Most recommerce providers have moved to a quality‐dependent process for the acquisition of used products. They acquire the products via websites at which product holders submit upfront quality statements and receive quality‐dependent acquisition prices for their used devices. Motivated by this development of reverse logistics practice, the aim of this study is to analyze the product assessment process of a recommerce provider in detail. To this end, we first propose a sequential bargaining model with complete information which captures the individual behavior of the recommerce provider and the product holder. We determine the optimal strategies of the product holder and the recommerce provider in this game. We find that the resulting strategies lead to an efficient allocation, although the recommerce provider can absorb most of the bargaining potential due to his last mover advantage. In a second step, we relax the assumption of complete information and include uncertainty about the product holder's valuation of the product. We show the trade‐off underlying the recommerce provider's optimal counteroffer decision and analyze the optimal strategy, using a logistic regression approach on a real‐life dataset of nearly 6,000 product submissions. The results reveal a significant improvement potential, compared to the currently applied strategy.     

A characterisation of logistics networks for product recovery

Recovery of used products is receiving much attention recently due to growing environmental concern. Efficient implementation requires appropriate logistics structures to be set up for the arising goods flow from users to producers. We investigate the design of such logistics networks. As a basis for our analysis we review recent case studies on logistics network design for product recovery in different industries. We identify general characteristics of product recovery networks and compare them with traditional logistics structures. Moreover, we derive a classification scheme for different types of recovery networks.     

The value of acquisition price differentiation in reverse logistics

The quality of returned products may vary greatly, depending on their previous usage. Since the remanufacturing of products in good condition is more economically rewarding for the remanufacturer—and since even for non-remanufacturable products the value that can be extracted from their parts or materials may depend on the products’ quality—it seems logical to acquire used products of different quality levels at different prices. However, acquisition price differentiation requires the product quality to be revealed, i.e. the products are graded before their actual acquisition. We observe two different approaches in current practice. The first one is a decentralized system with several collection sites to which the customers can bring their used products. After a short grading procedure, they receive a specific acquisition price offer for their products, which they can accept or decline directly. The second setting is a reverse logistics system with a centralized grading facility. The final grading is conducted after shipping the used products to this specific facility. Motivated by these empirical observations, we compare the two strategies with the help of a continuous approximation model. We derive analytical expressions for the optimal pricing and network density decision and show that, in addition to the other factors discussed in the literature, acquisition price differentiation can be a reason for decentralizing the reverse logistics network, if the product quality is uncertain. Furthermore, we illustrate our results with a numerical example.     

Settlement Intentions and Immigrant Integration: The Case of Recently Arrived EU‐Immigrants in the Netherlands

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of settlement intentions on the integration of recently arrived EU‐immigrants in the Netherlands. Hypotheses on differences in integration, both shortly after arrival and over time, are derived from the intergenerational immigrant integration model. Based on two waves of the New Immigrants to the Netherlands Survey, a longitudinal multilevel model was estimated. Most differences were found with regard to the level of integration shortly after arrival. Immigrants who intended to stay had more contact with natives, were more proficient in Dutch, and consumed more host country media than immigrants who intend to leave. On the other hand, they worked fewer hours per week than immigrants who intend to leave. Differences over time were only found with regard to Dutch language proficiency: immigrants who intend to stay increased their proficiency more strongly than immigrants who intend to leave.