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Should I stay or should I go? An institutional approach to brain drain

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  • Lea Cassar
  • Bruno S. Frey

Abstract

This paper suggests that institutional factors which reward social net- works at the expenses of productivity can play an important role in ex- plaining brain drain. The e€ects of social networks on brain drain are analyzed in a decision theory framework with asymmetric information. We distinguish between the role of insidership and personal connections. The larger the cost of being an outsider, the smaller is the number and the average ability of researchers working in the domestic job market. Per- sonal connections partly compensate for this e€ect by attracting highly connected researchers back. However, starting from a world with no dis- tortions, personal connections also increase brain drain.

Suggested Citation

  • Lea Cassar & Bruno S. Frey, 2010. "Should I stay or should I go? An institutional approach to brain drain," CREMA Working Paper Series 2010-12, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    • Handle: RePEc:cra:wpaper:2010-12
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Banerjee, Biswajit, 1984. "Information flow, expectations and job search : Rural-to-urban migration process in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1-3), pages 239-257.
    2. Paul Winters & Alain de Janvry & Elisabeth Sadoulet, 2001. "Family and Community Networks in Mexico-U.S. Migration," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 36(1), pages 159-184.
    3. Banerjee, Biswajit, 1991. "The determinants of migrating with a pre-arranged job and of the initial duration of urban unemployment : An analysis based on Indian data on rural-to-urban migrants," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 337-351, October.
    4. Kwok, Peter & Leland, Hayne, 1984. "Migration and Asymmetric Information: Reply," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(3), pages 535-535, June.
    5. Kwok, Viem & Leland, Hayne, 1982. "An Economic Model of the Brain Drain," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(1), pages 91-100, March.
    6. Katz, Eliakim & Stark, Oded, 1984. "Migration and Asymmetric Information: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(3), pages 533-534, June.
    7. Lien, Da-Hsiang Donald, 1987. "Economic analysis of brain drain," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 33-43, February.
    8. P. Giannoccolo, 2005. "Brain Drain Competition Policies in Europe: a Survey," Working Papers 534, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Brain Drain; Social Networks; Institutions; Asymmetric In- formation; Italian Academia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations

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