The Impact of Returning Iranian Experts on the Performance of Knowledge-Based Companies in Iran

Abstract

 Many developing countries that faced the migration of their graduates to developed countries in previous decades are now witnessing their large-scale return to their home countries. The research method in this study is sequential data-based. In the first step, a qualitative study was conducted by studying the literature and collecting the opinions of experts through interviews, and then analyzing the results using content analysis. In the next step, a quantitative study was conducted by designing a questionnaire, distributing the questionnaire to a sample of the target population, and then analyzing the results using the partial least squares structural equation modeling method. In the qualitative study, interviews with experts and content analysis were used. Using the results of content analysis of the interviews and related literature, a questionnaire was designed for the quantitative part of the study. In the quantitative study section, the final model design was carried out by using the aforementioned questionnaire and then analyzing their outputs through partial least squares structural equation modeling. The resulting model suggests that "personality trait" directly affects company performance. "Social network trait" affects performance through the mediation of resource absorption. "Specialized trait" affects performance through the mediation of "technology capability development". This study also examined the effects of the control variables "company size", "company life stage" and "company field of activity" and it was observed that these variables do not have a significant effect on company performance. The findings of this study will greatly help in policy-making for cooperation with returning specialists, including residents and non-residents.