ABSTRACT
More than four decades ago Fritz Schumacher published his seminal book Small Is Beautiful, in which he addressed societal issues, such as well-being, sustainability and inequalities in relation to production, consumption and the use of technologies in economies of the global South and North. Although international migration was not considered, the inquiry has a common feature with the present chapter on Indian migrants in Germany that is to engage in critical analysis of the effects that certain characteristics of organisations can have on people. In contrast to Schumacher’s consideration that small-size companies are more beneficial for both people and societies, in this article the opposite is argued, namely that certain features of companies and universities, such as size and degree of international orientation, can be detrimental for Indian international students and highly skilled migrants in Germany. This is related to the following question: What are the effects of the size and the international orientation of organisations in the (re)production of social inequalities among Indian students and highly skilled migrants in Germany? Based on recent research findings on Indian migrants, the author shows from a comparative angle that the size and international orientation of companies and universities can have significant impacts on migrants’ social inclusion and career development.
