Avionska karta ili Zoom sastanak? Mobilnost akademskog osoblja u “staroj” i “novoj normalnosti”

Abstract

International mobility has become an integral part of academic staff activities at higher education institutions (HEIs). In the context of globalisation and internationalisation, it plays a key role in both individual academic career and HEI performance. However, research on the motivation of academic staff to engage in international mobility, especially short-term mobility, remains modest. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant changes in international academic mobility organisation, with virtual mobility becoming the new normal. Research on academic staff responses to this form of mobility is nascent, but no less relevant given the current spread of blended international mobility. Drawing from self-determination theory, this paper aims to identify what motivates academic staff to engage in short-term international academic mobility in the pre-pandemic (“old normality”) and pandemic (“new normality”) periods. The study builds on the findings of a longitudinal research during which 13 academic staff members from 12 different countries were interviewed twice: before and during the pandemic. Findings suggest that academic staff is primarily driven to engage in short-term international mobility by intrinsic motivation, namely the need for competence development during both physical (pre-pandemic) and virtual (pandemic) mobility, while the need for relatedness plays a more significant role in the international physical mobility. Organisational support is an equally important extrinsic motivator for both mobility types. This empirical study provides implications for the international academic mobility literature and HEI management on the enhancement of academic staff involvement in international academic staff mobility.