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  • 2016
  • Working Paper
  • HBS Working Paper Series

Global Talent Flows

By: Sari Pekkala Kerr, William R. Kerr, Çağlar Özden and Christopher Parsons
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:27
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Abstract

The global distribution of talent is highly skewed and the resources available to countries to develop and utilize their best and brightest vary substantially. The migration of skilled workers across countries tilts the deck even further. Using newly available data, we first review the landscape of global talent mobility, which is both asymmetric and rising in importance. We next consider the determinants of global talent flows at the individual and firm levels and sketch some important implications. Lastly, we review the national gatekeepers for skilled migration and broad differences in approaches used to select migrants for admission. Looking forward, the capacity of people, firms, and countries to successfully navigate this tangled web of global talent will be critical to their success.

Keywords

Migration; Talent; Diaspora; Diasporas; Talent and Talent Management; Immigration

Citation

Kerr, Sari Pekkala, William R. Kerr, Çağlar Özden, and Christopher Parsons. "Global Talent Flows." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 17-026, October 2016.
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About The Author

William R. Kerr

Entrepreneurial Management
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