The retention of highly skilled returnees in Mozambique : an institutional approach
Abstract
This research combines Institutional Rational Choice (IRC), the Institutional Analysis and
Development (IAD) framework, Return Migration theories and International Development theories
to understand how Mozambican highly skilled returnees (HSRs) interact with the institutional
setting in the home country while pursuing their personal aspirations. Institutional setting in this
context is defined as a multidimensional space of factors – institutions plus other contextual
variables co-evolving as they interact with each other – in which HSRs try to mobilize resources over
time towards their personal goals. Factors impose elements of order in the context where they
operate and they affect the distribution of preferences, incentives, and outcomes. A better
understanding of the constraints imposed by these factors/elements on HSRs’ behavior and
personal satisfaction could allow governments in extremely poor countries to prioritize
interventions for institutional development given the very scarce resources available. These could
have the interacting effect of increasing the capacity of HSRs to contribute to the development of
Mozambique and provide positive signals to encourage the return of more. Hypotheses around
three specific types of factors/domains – professional opportunities, information and
communication technologies (ICTs), and governmental programs – are tested. The methodology
applied includes (i) a cross-sectional purposive sample ofMozambicanswhorecently returned to the
homecountry after obtaining post-secondary education abroad; (ii) an online survey complemented
with field interviews; (iii) bivariate analysis; and (iv) multivariate model-building. The results
demonstrate, first, that all three factors tested are associated with retention. This finding supports
the IAD’s argument that new policies and institutions can be devised to shape those other
contextual variables. Second, this research demonstrates that the degree of this association differs
across factors. Third, this research shows that the degree of association also differs from urban to
rural settings. Moreover, the first and foremost role played by professional-related elements in the
capacity of a country to retain some of its most well-educated citizens supports previous literature.
Further, this research supports the argument that institutional development precedes economic
development. Also, this research does not find empirical support for the hypothesis that
Mozambique has been facing increasing levels of the brain drain. In addition, the “Satisfaction With
Life Scale” (SWLS) proxy for retention is among all proxies tested the one mostly associated with
the institutional setting in the home country. More specifically, the possibility of achieving personal
goals is the most important component of one’s overall life satisfaction. Finally, there is a temporal
“ripple-effect” on the association (i.e., progressively weaker) of the current institutional setting
both with past and with the possibility of future behavior. The implications resulting from these
findings are discussed and classified into three categories: (i) theoretical; (ii) practical for policy; and
(iii) for future research.
Key Words: Highly Skilled migration, brain drain inversion, patterns of reintegration, institutional
development,Mozambique