Factors that South African Master of Business Administration students consider when contemplating emigration

Abstract

Migration is an emotive and multidimensional topic. The factors influencing the decision to migrate are covered in detail in literature dating as far back as Ravenstein in 1885. Skilled migration gained common acceptance in the 1950s. ‘Brain drain’, as skilled migration is now commonly referred to, is a term coined by the British Royal Society describing the phenomenon of the transfer of technology: ‘It refers to skilled professionals who leave their native lands in order to seek more promising opportunities elsewhere’ (Kwok & Leland, 1982; p.91). This research explores the factors that South African Masters of Business Administration students consider when contemplating emigration. A mixed methods approach was undertaken. 237 students studying at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Wits Business School (WBS), which forms part of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, were surveyed, with 138 surveys being used in the final statistical analysis. A focus group, comprising six current MBA students from WBS, completed the quantitative component of this research The findings of the research determined that, of the thirteen ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors initially identified in the literature review, five factors are most influential in the decision of skilled migration of the research respondents. These factors are ‘economic opportunities’, ‘career opportunities’, ‘political instability’, ‘safety and security’ and declining public and commercial services’. Of the five factors, financial and career advancement were the most influential. It is plausible that, given the nature of the MBA and the motivation to complete a Master’s degree in business, financial and career advancement are complementary migration factors and are key drivers in the decision-making process of the respondents.