The SME ‘styling’ of HEI – HR of management of international mobility: motivations, benefits and barriers as drivers of innovation

Abstract

Purpose

As government funding continues to decrease, higher education (HE) providers are pressed to become autonomous in terms of managing resources and innovation. Many operate as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), expanding business activities beyond borders by integrating programmes of International Academic Mobility (IAM). Such programmes involve managing the flow of staff beyond national borders, contributing to a key dimension of internationalisation and IAM-driven innovation. This paper seeks to ascertain the motivations, benefits and barriers for undertaking IAM, and the HR processes through which they operate.

Design/methodology/approach

A four-stage qualitative methodological approach including interviews with 26 participants is employed to identify factors that motivate staff to participate in IAM programmes.

Findings

Eight factors that motivate staff to be involved with IAM (breaking from routine, leisure/recreation, socio-cultural discovery, networking, altruism, developing new skills/capabilities, research/funding collaboration and self-enhancement) and four issues that act as barriers (funding, HR myopia/lack of information, personal circumstances and schedule constraints) are identified.

Originality/value

This study contributes to an important yet under-researched area of employee-driven IAM, developing a conceptual framework that draws from and enriches: expectancy theory, communities of practice, social and human capital theories and intrapreneurship (i.e. employee-driven innovation).

Citation

Lichy, J. and McLeay, F. (2021), "The SME ‘styling’ of HEI – HR of management of international mobility: motivations, benefits and barriers as drivers of innovation", Employee Relations, Vol. 43 No. 2, pp. 571-588. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-02-2020-0042