Abstract
This article investigates the reason for the continued scarce skills shortage, despite the recruitment of expatriates in academic institutions as an intervention measure. It argues that while the Human Resources Departments in South African universities motivate for the appointment of expatriates in the development of scarce skills, little monitoring is done to determine the effectiveness of this objective and, often, no performance instrument exists for such personnel. As such, the scarce skills to be developed continue to be wanting in the country. This article is conceptual and uses literature to argue about the hypothetical relation between the lack of a monitoring tool for expatriates and the continued scarce skills problems that universities cannot address. It concludes that the continued lack of a performance-monitoring instrument in South African universities for contracted expatriates will not solve the skills shortage problem experienced in South Africa.
Highlights
The reasons for the migration of skilled employees to foreign countries may differ from one employee to the other; Dayton-Johnson, Pfeiffer, Schutler & Schwinn (2009) listed the political, economic and environmental problems as major causes
Such investment is only possible if the country is capable of attracting good academic expatriates who will produce a crop of young South Africans that would contribute to the economic performance of the country
It is unlikely that the primary objective of academic expatriates from other countries is to put an end to the skills shortage in South Africa, because they regard it as a “Canaan”
Summary
The reasons for the migration of skilled employees to foreign countries may differ from one employee to the other; Dayton-Johnson, Pfeiffer, Schutler & Schwinn (2009) listed the political, economic and environmental problems as major causes. The migration of skilled employees of both developing and developed countries is a cross path and with different perceptions of those interested in factors influencing it. The receiving country regulates the entrance and employment of the immigrant employee to ensure that their presence would bring about development of scarce skills in the local community. In the South African academia, this is a precondition of employment in which Human Resources Departments have to convince the Department of Home Affairs that the employee’s skills are necessary and can make a significant contribution to the local skills required. A major research question raised in this article is: Do South African universities have a performance. Scarce skills expatriates in South African universities instrument with which to measure the performance of such individuals and the effect of the skills transferred to locals?
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