Alumni Networks--"An Untapped Potential to Gain and Retain Highly-Skilled Workers?"

Autor/inn/en	David, Alexandra; Coenen, Frans
Titel	Alumni Networks--"An Untapped Potential to Gain and Retain Highly-Skilled Workers?"
Quelle	In: Higher Education Studies, 4 (2014) 5, S.1-17 (17 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1925-4741
Schlagwörter	Alumni; Alumni Associations; Social Networks; Skilled Workers; Skilled Occupations; Regional Planning; Knowledge Economy; Network Analysis; College Graduates; Information Sources; Institutional Advancement; Human Capital; Technology Transfer; Fund Raising; Case Studies; Organizational Theories; Organizational Culture; Online Surveys; Organizational Objectives; Outreach Programs; Recruitment; Labor Turnover; Foreign Countries; Germany; Netherlands; Norway; Sweden; Switzerland + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Absolventenbetreuung; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Facharbeiter; Fachangestellter; Regionalplanung; Knowledge society; Economy; Wissensgesellschaft; Wirtschaft; Netzplantechnik; Hochschulabsolvent; Hochschulabsolventin; Information source; Informationsquelle; nicht übertragen; Humankapital; Technologietransfer; Fundraising; Spendensammlung; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Organisationstheorie; Unternehmenskultur; Business goal; Unternehmensziel; Jobcoaching; Recruiting; Rekrutierung; Ausland; Deutschland; Niederlande; Norwegen; Schweden; Schweiz
Abstract	In times of increasing skills shortage, regions and particularly non-core regions, need to attract highly-skilled workers. It is better for these regions to (re)attract highly-skilled workers that gained knowledge and contacts elsewhere and because they once lived in the region for study have already ties to the university region than trying to attract outsiders without such ties. In general, social networks can contribute to nurturing a "warm place" perception among potential workers. This paper looks at special kinds of social networks. It focuses on higher education alumni networks and discusses their role in retention and (re)attraction for increasing the highly skilled workforce in their university regions. Being part of a university community means that alumni networks are able to maintain continuous contact with their alumni and have a positive effect on students remaining in the region. This can occur through co-operation with the regional economy. However, the current study found that the analysed alumni networks were set up primarily as communication instruments for graduates and alumni and not for regional economy purposes. If elements of retention and (re)attraction are found in the network activities, this is more an unintentional side effect than a purposeful attempt to contribute to the regional economy. This paper argues that alumni networks could take on such a retention and (re)attraction function if they broadened their scope of activities and reorganized their management structure. Alumni networks are an untapped potential, which can be activated for regional purposes. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Canadian Center of Science and Education. 1120 Finch Avenue West Suite 701-309, Toronto, OH M3J 3H7, Canada. Tel: 416-642-2606; Fax: 416-642-2608; e-mail: hes@ccsenet.org; Web site: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/hes
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01