What makes working migrants in Malta thrive? : an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach

Abstract

Migrant thriving remains underexplored, particularly in Malta, where the migrant population is growing rapidly. This study employed a three-phase exploratory sequential mixed methods design grounded in a critical realist paradigm to examine how working migrants define and experience thriving and the factors associated with it. In Phase 1, individual interviews with 12 working migrants were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. This yielded four themes: definition and phases of thriving, thriving domains, individual capitals, and contextual factors. These insights informed Phase 2, where a thriving instrument was developed through a structured process involving conceptual mapping, item generation, expert reviews, cognitive interviews, and pilot testing. Phase 3 comprised a survey with 436 working migrants to validate the instrument and examine emerging patterns. Findings showed about half were thriving across domains, while a third remained in the surviving phase. Thriving was highest in professional, personal, and relational domains, and moderate in financial and wellbeing domains. Group differences emerged by nationality, job position, sector, permit type, and age. Thriving positively correlated with hobby engagement, volunteering, and intention to stay, and negatively with work absences. Drive, self-care, and work-life balance predicted thriving, while cultural adaptability and the perceived presence of a “social connection ladder” culture—where advancement is seen as tied to personal relationships with management—negatively predicted it. Factor analysis confirmed the thriving domains and introduced strain adaptation as a distinct construct. The study offers practical insights to advance migrant wellbeing in research, policy, and practice.