Understanding the decision-making mechanisms of migrants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31039/plic.2025.17.357Keywords:
migration, mechanism, employment, business, decision-makingAbstract
This paper investigates the decision-making process of migrants. The study addresses questions about what circumstances, economic events, and social factors influence individuals' decisions to migrate. It reviews and summarizes theoretical approaches to migration and decision-making. The overview of migration theories indicates that migrant flows can be forecasted. An interdisciplinary approach integrates insights from various fields. Migration decisions are affected by economic, social, and other factors. This approach helps study the migration process and suggests ways to improve migration policy. Institutional and structural frameworks are crucial for understanding the economic and social challenges involved in migrant decision-making.
Drawing from survey data on multinational businesses, the article examines the case of Ukrainians whose migration was driven by their desire for stability and security. Key research questions focus on measuring and predicting the impacts of migration flows on the job market, wages, and business growth. Remittances and skills transfers can promote long-term development in home countries. According to the study's findings, it is crucial to understand how migrants make decisions so that migration and integration policies can be designed to balance economic needs with humanitarian responsibilities.
References
Anticipating Displacement: EUAA looking into Migration Trends in Ukraine (2025). EUAA 21 July. https:// europa.eu/news-events/anticipating-displacement-euaa-looking-migration-trends-ukraine
Belaid, F. and Slany, R. (2018). Migration for Structural Transformation. Background Paper No.2. Exploring the Relationship Between Migration and Structural Transformation: An Empirical Analysis. UNCTAD. Economic Development in Africa Report, pp. 5-8.
Brunarska, Z. (2019). A “Good Enough” Choice: Bounded Rationality in Migration Destination Choice. Migration Studies – Polonia Review, 2019 (XLV), No. 2 (172): 43-62. Publication date: 05/09/2019 https://doi.org/10.4467/25444972SMPP.19.014.10840
Chu, H. (2024). Migrant and Person-Centered Approach. In A. Khan et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the 2024 2nd International Conference on Language, Innovative Education and Cultural Communication (CLEC 2024), Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research 853,https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-263-7_11
EUAA Surveys with Arriving Migrants from Ukraine Movements and Returns (2024). 3 December. https://euagenda.eu/publications/euaa-surveys-with-arriving-migrants-from-ukraine
Gradus Research study on the migration intentions of Ukrainians. https://gradus.app/en/open-reports/migration-intentions-ukrainians-ukraine-and-abroad/
Grebenyuk, A.A. (2016). Theoretical approaches to the study of international labor migration. Migration and Social Development, 1(1), 17–38. doi: 10.18334/migration 1.1.38078
Labor Market Integration of Ukrainian Refugees. (2023). 2023 Annual Report. IOM UN Migration. Publisher: International Organization for Migration.
Mahmud, B. (2021). Refugees and asylum seekers’ emotions in migration studies. Revista Internacional de Estudios Migratorios, Vol. 11(1), 27-58.
Migration Intentions of Ukrainians in Ukraine and Abroad (2024). Gradus Research Company. https://gradus.app/en/open-reports/migration-intentions-ukrainians-ukraine-and-abroad/
Nosova, O. (2024, 1). System Transformational Changes in Ukraine: Problems and Development. In the book: Options. Interdisciplinarity in International Relations: Theory, Methodology, Evidence. Edited by Valerii Kopiika, Anton Filipenko and Oleksii Toporkov. Chapter7. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Nosova, O. (2024, 2). A review of the impact of labor migration and structural changes on the global crisis. CES Working Papers – Volume XVI, Issue 2: 158 -180
Nosova O. (2024, 3). Labor Market Organization in Ukraine: Challenges and Perspectives. Monetary Policies and Sustainable Businesses. Eds.Prof. Larisa Ivascu, Dr. Alin Artene and Dr. Marius Pislaru. IntechOpen, DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.113041
Nosova O. (2023). Structural Changes and the Ukrainian Labour Market Organisation. Applied Business Issues & Solutions, № 1, 2023. P. 3–9. https://doi.org/10.57005/ab.2023.1.
Nyaoro, D. (2023). Comparison of African Migration to Europe and European Migration in the Last Two Centuries. In book: Human Migration in the Last Three Centuries. Eds. Ingrid Muensterman. Available at: https://doi: 10.5772/intechopen.109348
Opp, Karl-Dieter. (2021). Rational Choice Theory and Methodological Individualism. In book: The Cambridge Handbook of Social Theory, volume 2, edited by Peter Kivisto: Pp. 1-23. Publisher: Cambridge University Press. DOI: 10.1017/9781316677452.002
Pavlushenko, T. ( 2024). Migration during war. Gradus Research study on the migration intentions of Ukrainians. Journal Forbes Ukraine. March 20. https:// orbes.ua/war-in-ukraine/migratsiya
Silva, B. G., Andriese, N. C., & Combs, J. G. (2025). Return Migrant Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587251322402
Turpin, S.M. &Marais, M.A. (2004). Decision-making: Theory and practice. ORiON. Volume 20 (2), pp. 143–160 http://www.orssa.org.za06
Ukrainian Refugees After Three Years Abroad (2025). Fourth Wave of Research. Human Capital. Centre for Economic Strategy. 3 March. https://ces.org.ua/en/refugees-fourth-wave
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Olga Nosova, Volodymyr Lypov

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
Share: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives-No additional restrictions.
Authors retain copyright and agree to license their articles with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-