Migration of skilled professionals across the border: Brain drain or brain gain?

Abstract

The foundation of organizations and knowledge-based economies is widely considered to be human capital and knowledge workers. This review synthesizes prior research on skilled migration, brain gain, and brain drain, occurring because of the cross-border migration of skilled professionals. The review comprises 75 studies, synthesizes findings, and develops a conceptual framework for enablers of skilled migration across the border, resulting in brain drain and brain gain. We support previous theories on international migration, stating wage differentials, employment, better earning, and family life as reasons for migration, as well as we provide the basis of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory and Herzberg's two-factor theory to explain the phenomenon of skilled migration. The conceptual model proposed elucidates the brain drain and brain gain outcomes, thereby surfacing a formative base for future research agenda.