Diasporas as drivers of national competitiveness

Abstract

Diasporas can play a vital role in enhancing a country's international competitiveness. They can act as catalysts to enhance human capital development in their country of origin (COO), use their transnational social networks in both the COO and country of residence (COR) as conduits for trade and investment, introduce COO culture and products in the COR, enhance the COO's soft power and use their social networks to favourably affect the COO effect. In this paper, we examine the vital roles that modern diasporas play, as well as the issues that have led to their increasing importance. These issues are illustrated by looking at the experiences of two of the largest modern diasporas, the Chinese and Indian diasporas. The paper concludes by examining some of the emerging issues for diasporas in the fast changing current global environment, and discusses some of their implications for the diasporas themselves, their COOs and their CORs.

Citation

Chand, M. (2010), "Diasporas as drivers of national competitiveness", Timothy, D., Torben, P. and Laszlo, T. (Ed.) The Past, Present and Future of International Business & Management (Advances in International Management, Vol. 23), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 583-602. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1571-5027(2010)00000230030