| Abstract: |
European universities have lost--and partially regained--key research
academics to North American and other attractive university systems. EU
efforts to reverse the cycle revolve around the establishment of an attractive
European Research Area, within which future academic mobility--and commercial
knowledge transmission--might be confined. This paper draws upon a survey of
1800 academics in 200 of Europe's most research-intensive universities to
understand the principal reasons that underlie contemporary academic mobility.
Mobility is conceptualised in Hirschmann terms as 'exit' from an inadequately
performing university, rather than remaining 'loyal' to its existing regime or
staying to exercise 'voice' in bringing about necessary improvements. The
results from logit modeling of choices and options indicate clearly that
academics who evidence either 'loyalty' or 'voice' are significantly less
likely to be mobile. Moreover, those who are mobile refuse to restrict
possible destinations to the ERA if they value better material conditions or
better quality of colleagues, students or university reputation. |