Skilled Migrants' Dynamics, Institutions, Innovation, and Diffusion: A Conceptual and Analytical Framework to Assess Patterns of (Re)integration

Abstract

This article argues that a diffusion of innovations model can be employed together with complexity theory in the construction of a conceptual framework to explain skilled migrants' (SMs) behavior and patterns of (re)integration, in either their homeland or their host country. This framework can be applied to identify and distinguish between those aspects of institutional structure that favor and those that hinder SMs' entrepreneurial aspirations. Empirical results derived from this framework can enrich the lessons learned from SMs' experiences and prompt the adoption of policies that favor SMs' personal performance, increase their capacity to fulfill entrepreneurial aspirations, and enhance the role they can play in development processes.