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Recruiting faculty abroad: examining factors that induced American faculty to work at branch campuses in Qatar's Education City

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Recruiting faculty abroad: examining factors that induced American faculty to work at branch campuses in Qatar's Education City

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Content Running Head: RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 1

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD:

EXAMINING FACTORS THAT INDUCED AMERICAN FACULTY TO WORK

AT BRANCH CAMPUSES IN QATAR’S EDUCATION CITY

by

Reginald H. Laigo

________________________________________________________________________

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2013

Copyright 2013 Reginald H. Laigo

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 2
Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to thank the Lord for blessing me with the opportunity to
better myself through the Ed.D program at USC. Thank you to Dr. Dennis Roberts for
coordinating and providing the needed assistance for me to conduct my research at Education
City – I am most grateful for his kindness and support.
Countless thanks are owed to my dissertation co-chairs, Dr. Mark P. Robison and Dr.
Michael A. Diamond. Thank you for your guidance, constructive feedback, and support
throughout the dissertation process. It has been an honor to be a part of the R&D group, and I
enjoyed my time working at APRISE. To Dr. Dominic Brewer, the third member of my
dissertation committee, thank you for your help and your expertise regarding the Qatari culture
and school systems.
Thank you to Team R&D (Anne, Anthony, Jenn, Job, Lauren, Martin, and Sarah) for their
support and friendship. Meet at the Lab next week? Special thanks goes to Anthony, my writing
partner and friend, for helping me during the home stretch.
There are not enough words to describe the amount of gratitude I feel for having such
loving and supportive family and friends who supported me these past three years. None of this
would be possible without them. Thank you to my mother and father in-law, Carol and Nestor,
for their love, support, and sotanghon misua. Thank you to Ray, Randy, Maria, and Rozelle for
their love and words of encouragement. To my mother and father, who are watching over me
from above, thank you for instilling in me the drive and passion to put my heart into all that I do.
Lastly, this dissertation is dedicated to my loving and beautiful wife, Robyn. Thank you
for believing in me, and thank you for being my inspiration throughout this journey. 143.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 3
Table of Contents

List of Tables 4
List of Figures 5
Abstract 6
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 7
Background of the Problem 8
Statement of the Problem 12
Purpose of the Study 13
Research Questions 14
Significance of the Study 15
Limitations 17
Chapter Two: Literature Review 19
Globalization and its Effects on Higher Education 19
Faculty Recruitment Strategies and Models 32
Theoretical Framework 34
Chapter Three: Research Methodology 44
Mixed Methods Research Methodology 45
Case Study Research Design 48
Population and Sample 49
Enhancing the Quality and Credibility of Qualitative Inquiry 55
Chapter Four: Results 57
Overview of Data Collection and Responses 58
Considerations for Demographic Groups 62
Professional Considerations 68
Personal Considerations 73
Chapter Five: Discussion 85
Summary of Study 85
Summary of Findings 87
Recommendations for Practice 90
Recommendations for Research 93
Conclusions 94
References 96
Appendices 106
Appendix A: Online Survey Protocol 106
Appendix B: Interview Protocol 110
Appendix C: Consent Form 111
Appendix D: Survey Response Frequency Table 114

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 4

List of Tables
Table 1: Growth of International Branch Campuses from 2002-2011 24
Table 2: Examples of Personal and Professional Considerations from the 36
Faculty Migration Model

Table 3: Estimated Number of Faculty at Participating Branch Campuses 50

Table 4: Criteria Used to Identify Participants of the Study 51

Table 5: Number of Interviews and Survey Responses for 59
Participating Branch Campuses

Table 6: Number of Survey Responses for Considerations that Positively 61
Influenced Faculty to Work at Education City

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 5
List of Figures
Figure 1: Overview of the Faculty Migration Model 35
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 6
Abstract

This study examines the sustainability of international branch campuses by applying the faculty
migration framework (Matier, 1988) from faculty recruitment literature to identify the incentives
that influenced American faculty to work at branch campuses in Qatar’s Education City. The
purpose of this study was to determine the specific work-related and non-work-related benefits
that influenced American faculty to work at branch campuses in a Middle Eastern country, and to
examine the factors that guided their decisions to work overseas. This case study utilized
qualitative techniques in the form of site observation, document analysis, and seven in-person
interviews with faculty and administrators from five branch campuses in order to gain
perspective into the incentives that positively motivated faculty. Further analysis was conducted
using data from surveys of 39 American expatriates. Findings from this study indicate that
American faculty members were greatly influenced by financial incentives, such as salary and an
increased standard of living, alongside the desire for adventure or change in their lives. Based on
this analysis, branch campuses in Qatar seeking to improve their recruitment practices may
benefit from focusing their efforts toward specific groups of faculty who are most likely to work
and stay in the country, such as married couples without children and faculty who have prior
exposure to the Middle East.

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 7
CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
The impact of globalization has never exposed more opportunities and challenges for
institutions of higher education in the United States than it does now. Internationalization
initiatives, such as establishing physical campuses overseas, have received increasing attention
from American universities and colleges for the past two decades (Altbach & Knight, 2007).
Accounting for nearly half of the 200 total campuses open, American institutions lead in the
number of international branch campuses established worldwide (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012).
Although American institutions have continued their internationalization efforts by establishing
overseas campuses, questions remain whether these branches can duplicate the quality of faculty
and academic experiences found at home campuses (Altbach, 2011).
Several leaders from American institutions have weighed-in on this debate, noting the
challenge of recruiting American faculty to work overseas can pose a risk to the reputation and
brand of the institution. The President of Yale was quoted as saying, “you can’t replicate a 300-
year-old university in a remote location” (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012, p. 27), preferring an
internationalization mode of partnerships other than offshore campuses. The President of Brown
University held a similar view, pointing to risks to the school’s reputation as the reason for not
pursuing a branch campus, claiming that branch campuses in another location cannot replicate
the quality of the home campus (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012).
The employment of domestic faculty is one way in which branch campuses could imitate
the faculty found at home campuses. The focus of this dissertation was to examine the factors
that influenced American faculty to work at branch campuses in Qatar’s Education City. More
specifically, this study examined the reasons that American faculty indicated for working at one
of the five American branch campuses in Qatar’s Education City.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 8
Background of the Problem

In order to provide the background for this study, what follows is a discussion on
globalization and the growth of international branch campuses, education hubs and their role in
attracting American colleges and universities to establish branch campuses, and challenges
associated with recruiting American faculty overseas.
Globalization and Internationalization
The challenges facing higher education in the twenty-first century cannot be adequately
understood without focusing on the phenomenon known as globalization (Scott, 2000).
Globalization is defined as the combination of political, economic, and societal forces shifting
higher education in the new millennium toward greater international involvement (Altbach &
Knight, 2007). Globalization has had a vast impact on society, marked particularly by the
generation of knowledge replacing labor productivity and capital assets as the pathways to
growth and prosperity (Altbach & Salmi, 2011). In turn, countries around the world have
responded by establishing higher education institutions that facilitate innovation and the process
of knowledge creation.
Internationalization, which is defined as the policies and practices utilized by countries in
response to globalization (Altbach & Knight, 2007), is one of the major forces affecting higher
education in the early parts of this millennium. Internationalization has been marked in recent
years by post-secondary institutions implementing different initiatives to cope with an
increasingly global academic environment. One such initiative is the establishment of overseas
branch campuses.
Although there are differing views on the definition of a branch campus (Altbach, 2011),
this dissertation defines an international branch campus as an institution of higher education
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 9
whose primary location – often referred to as the home campus – is in one country, while a
separate campus operates in a sponsoring country. To date, American research universities have
led the way in establishing international branch campuses around the world (Altbach, 2011).
The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education counted 200 branch campuses at the end of
2011, with American universities accounting for nearly half of the total campuses (Lawton &
Katsomitros, 2012). Of the 37 planned branch campuses identified to open by the end of 2013,
13 are from American universities or colleges, representing a continued interest by American
institutions to establish campuses overseas.
A key reason for this rate of expansion is the belief that branch campuses fulfill a vital
role in meeting foreign countries’ desire for greater access to higher education (Wilkens &
Balakrishnan, 2011). The global shift to a knowledge-based society continues to fuel the
internationalization of higher education, which has increased the demand for access to degrees
believed to be essential for greater earnings (Altbach & Salmi, 2011). Even during difficult
economic times, the continued growth in the number of branch campuses suggests American
colleges and universities view branch campuses as a viable initiative for the near future.
Recruiting American Schools Through Education Hubs
American college and universities are widely regarded as the standard of excellence in
higher education (Green, Kinser, & Eckel, 2009). As noted by the American Council on
Education Report on Internationalization (2011), American institutions remain perched at the top
of higher education rankings, regardless of the methodology used. In 2011, American
universities represented over half of the top 100 institutions of higher education in the world
(Times Higher Education, 2012). Colleges and universities in the United States have extended
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 10
their influence on higher education well beyond campus and national borders, becoming
renowned centers for learning and innovation.
Countries have sought the recruitment of reputable American institutions within their
borders, using initiatives such as education hubs. As Knight (2011) notes, education hubs are
defined as concerted efforts by countries to “build a critical mass of education/knowledge actors
and strengthen its efforts to exert more influence in the new marketplace of education” (p. 225),
and they serve as a platform for countries to recruit branch campuses and advance their
economic prosperity and overall geopolitical status. Another important motive behind every
education hub is the desire for the sponsoring country to be seen as a regional hub for higher
education, not merely an education city or zone within a country (Knight & Morshidi, 2011).
Greater understanding of how branch campuses operate in the context of an education hub is an
important topic to study as countries establish regional hubs and recruit American students and
faculty.
Currently, six countries (or zones, cities) have identified themselves as education hubs:
Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (Knight, 2011).
Each of these hubs has actively pursued American institutions to develop branch campuses
within its borders, and have experienced varying degrees of success. Qatar’s Education City was
chosen as the site for this study because of its success, having established six American branch
campuses within the past 15 years.
An initiative of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community
Development, Qatar’s Education City aims to support the country’s mission to transition from a
carbon economy to a knowledge economy by bringing renowned institutions of higher education
to the country (Qatar Foundation, 2012). Located on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Doha,
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 11
Education City houses some of the world’s leading universities. The University College
London, Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Paris (H.E.C. Paris), and six American
universities have established branch campuses in Education City. The American universities
include Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, Northwestern
University, Texas A & M University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. This study
focused solely on American faculty working at five of these six branch campuses.
Challenges with Recruiting American Faculty Overseas
Various scholars (Matier, 1988; Rumbley, Pacheco, & Altbach, 2008) have pointed to the
engagement of faculty as the key for developing and sustaining the internationalization of higher
education in the twenty-first century. Early research in faculty recruitment found that less than
one-third of American faculty have taught or conducted research in other countries, and have
typically done so for durations of less than six months overseas (Altbach & Lewis, 1996).
Recent studies found little change in this trend, suggesting the scarcity of American faculty
teaching overseas to be a considerable challenge for offshore branch campuses (Rumbley,
Pacheco, & Altbach, 2008).
Before deciding to work in another country, American professors likely weigh an array of
considerations. Even when branch campuses offer attractive salary and other financial
incentives, research has found difficulties with convincing American faculty to teach at a branch
campus for extended periods (Altbach, 2011). Lack of opportunities to conduct research and
publish can deter faculty from working abroad, while considerations such as travel, housing, and
family relocation may prove very costly for faculty to work overseas (Edelstein & Douglass,
2012). While the professional needs of faculty members are an important element to their
recruitment (Winter, 1996), it remains unclear to what extent their personal needs affect their
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 12
decisions to work abroad. Within this context, branch campus administrators face the challenge
of recruiting American faculty to fill positions at their respective campuses. This dissertation
sought to gain a better understanding of the benefits that positively influenced American
professoriates to work overseas.
Statement of the Problem
There are frequent news stories about American colleges and universities that have found
the sustainment of an overseas branch campus requires a great amount of time and resources
(Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). Despite the reported growth of branch campuses throughout the
world – such as those found in the Middle East – and their role in internationalization efforts, the
long-term sustainability of American branch campuses remains uncertain (Altbach, 2010). The
closing of George Mason University’s campus in the Middle East (Lewin, 2009) exemplifies the
numerous challenges associated with American institutions sustaining an overseas campus.
A key problem to the sustainability of American branch campuses is the scarcity of
obtaining long-term commitments from domestic faculty to work abroad (Rumbley, Pacheco &
Altbach, 2008). Researchers assert the success of branch campuses is tied to the expertise of the
faculty hired to implement their educational programs (Matier, 1988; Rumbley, Pacheco, &
Altbach, 2008). Similarly, Edelstein and Douglass (2012) assert the single most limiting factor
for American branch campuses to be “the scarcity of regular faculty members willing to spend
extended periods abroad” (p.11). Although American branch campuses can hire faculty from an
expansive network of institutions within the United States, recruiting domestic faculty to work
abroad continues to be an undeniable challenge (Ruby, 2009). Branch campuses have so far
failed to duplicate the faculty and academic experiences found at home campuses (Altbach,
2011), opting instead to hire adjunct, local, or international faculty (Fielden & Gillard, 2011).
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 13
Branch campuses that continue to refrain from employing full-time, domestic faculty risk being
perceived as lower in academic quality, which could damage the overall reputation and brand of
the home campus (Edelstein & Douglass, 2012). Replication of the faculty found at the home
campus is fundamental to the sustainability of all American branch campuses (Wilkins &
Balakrishnan, 2012).
Purpose of the Study
In 1998, Qatar Education City established its first branch campus, Virginia
Commonwealth University in Qatar School of Arts, offering students Bachelor of Fine Arts and
Master of Fine Arts degrees. Afterward, the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar was
founded in 2002, offering pre-medical and medical studies leading to a Doctor of Medicine
degree. Texas A & M University at Qatar followed in 2003, providing various programs in the
engineering field. Shortly thereafter, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar opened its doors in
2004, providing programs in business administration, biological sciences, computational biology,
and computer science and information systems. At the invitation of the Qatar Foundation,
Georgetown University and Northwestern University established branch campuses in Education
City in 2005 and 2008 to offer programs in Foreign Service and media, respectively. While the
number of branch campuses and students in Education City has steadily grown, it is unclear
whether there has been a proportionate growth in the number of American faculty at Education
City.
The purpose of this study was to determine the personal and professional considerations
(i.e., benefits) that influenced American faculty members to work at Qatar Education City, and to
examine to what extent the considerations played into faculty members’ decisions to work
overseas. This case study utilized quantitative surveys along with the qualitative technique of
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 14
interviews to gain insight into the ways in which American faculty arrived at their decisions to
work in Qatar.
Though higher education institutions use various terms to describe the academic career
ladder in the United States, faculty positions can be viewed in three ranks – assistant professor,
associate professor, and full professor (Bess & Dee, 2008). Within these ranks, professors may
work full-time or part-time, and may be tenure or non-tenure track. For the purpose of this
dissertation, faculty were defined as any academic professional within these ranks who were
formerly employed at an American higher education institution prior to working at Education
City. Terms such as professors, academic staff, and academic professionals were used
synonymously for faculty members. The terms faculty hiring and faculty recruitment were also
considered synonymous. Further details of the American academic profession will be given
attention in chapter two, and the method in which participants will be chosen will be described in
chapter three.
Research Questions
In an effort to better understand the personal and professional factors relevant to recruit
American faculty to overseas campuses, the following overarching research question and two
supplemental questions were the focus of this study.
1. Overarching research question: What factors induced American faculty to work at
branch campuses in Qatar Education City?
A. Sub-question: What were the personal considerations that induced them to work in
Education City, and which had the greatest influence on their decisions?
B. Sub-question: What were the professional considerations that induced them to work in
Education City, and which had the greatest influence on their decisions?
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 15
The three categories of Matier’s (1988) faculty migration model were used to guide the
data collection and analysis of this study. The three categories include (a) tangible work
benefits, such as salary; (b) intangible work benefits, such as institutional reputation, autonomy,
and influence; and (c) non-work related benefits, which include quality of life, friendships, and
various familial considerations. Findings from the research questions sought to discover the
personal and professional considerations that influence American faculty to work overseas. Data
was organized, classified, and edited into manageable case records according to Matier’s (1988)
framework, which was used to determine any relevant themes during data analysis. This
framework will be discussed in further detail in chapter two.
Significance of the Study
Current scholarship has scarcely detailed the personal and professional factors behind
why American faculty members accept or decline opportunities to work abroad. Most of the
literature on recruiting American faculty abroad detail the attitudes and values of professors, but
it does not connect this to why they decided to work overseas. This study provided much needed
empirical evidence into the factors that influenced American faculty members to work at an
international branch campus. Optimal hiring at branch campuses – one in which the academic
experience, quality, and instructional philosophy of the faculty resembles that found at home
campuses – cannot occur without first understanding the nature and sources of the problem. The
findings of this study were needed to assist branch campuses in replicating the academic quality
and experiences found at home campuses and may be used to evaluate the current recruitment
practices of branch campuses. Faculty members who are considering work overseas may also
discover the results of this study to be informative and useful to their decision-making process.

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 16
Definitions
Recruitment. Although various definitions have been developed over the years to
describe recruitment, this study will use the definition suggested by Breaugh (1992) since it
examines a wide range of variables included in the recruiting process: “Employee recruitment
those organizational activities that (1) influence the number and/or types of applicants who apply
for a position and/or (2) affect whether a job offer is accepted” (p. 4).
Branch Campus. There has yet to be a universally agreed definition of a branch campus
(Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). A permanent definition has proven difficult since tertiary
institutions continue to innovate in order to be competitive as more providers enter the higher
education market. For purposes of this study, the following definition of a branch campus was
used:
A higher education institution that is located in another country from the institution,
which either originated it or operates it, with some physical presence in the host country,
and awards at least one degree in the hose country that is accredited in the country of the
originating institution. (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012, p. 7)
The terms international branch campus, overseas campus, offshore campus, and
internationalization initiative were used synonymously to describe when a university or college
in the United States establishes and operates a branch campus.

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 17
Delimitations
The participants of this study included American citizens living in Qatar who were
currently working as faculty or administrators at one of the American branch campuses in Qatar
Education City. The sample of this study focused on American faculty who were employed at a
tertiary institution in the United States prior to working at the branch campus, and did not
explore the insights of (a) certain staff working at the branch campus, (b) faculty who have
already concluded their commitments at the branch campus, (c) local faculty who reside in the
host country or regional faculty, (d) administrators from the home campus, or (e) international
faculty recruited to the branch campus. Future research examining these samples would be
salient to providing greater breadth and generalizability to findings. Additionally, the definition
of international branch campus used in this study excluded joint-degree programs, twinning
arrangements, degree franchising, offshore campuses serving students from the home campus,
and other international ventures such as virtual universities. Lastly, the focus of this study was
not to evaluate the recruitment practices of the branch campuses; rather, it was to examine the
factors that motivated American faculty to work overseas.
Limitations
The number of faculty participants was a limitation of this study. As Patton (2001)
denotes, findings cannot be generalized from studies with small samples. Further, Merriam
(1997) notes that a major limitation of a case study is its inability to generalize beyond the
context of the study; thus, findings from this dissertation should not be characterized beyond the
context of Qatar Education City. Although a multiple case study was conducted in an effort to
provide rich data from various contexts and campuses, the study was unable to fully account for
the differences in the organizational, social, and economical landscapes of each university.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 18
Additionally, Matier’s (1988) faculty migration model was utilized as the analytical framework
for the study. Consequently, the findings that were drawn from the data were limited since it
could not be fully adapted to fit the context of transnational higher education.
Dissertation Overview
The structure of this dissertation is organized into five chapters. This introductory
chapter provided contextual background on the impact of globalization and the
internationalization of higher education, discussed issues of sustainability for international
branch campuses, previewed challenges associated with recruiting faculty to work abroad, and
detailed the purpose and significance of the dissertation. The following chapter will review
relevant literature on faculty recruitment and will detail the theoretical framework used to guide
the data analysis of the study. The third chapter will highlight the study’s research design. The
fourth chapter will highlight the results and findings of this mixed methods study. This
dissertation concludes with the fifth chapter, which features implications for practice,
recommendations for change, and suggestions for future research.

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 19
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
The main problem associated with the sustainability of branch campuses established by
American institutions is the scarcity of obtaining long-term commitments from American faculty
to teach abroad (Edelstein & Douglass, 2012). Although faculty can be hired from an expansive
network of institutions within the United States to work abroad, challenges associated with
recruiting American faculty to work overseas clearly exist. Considering American universities
account for nearly half the total branch campuses currently open (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012)
and continue to lead the way in establishing branches worldwide (Altbach, 2011), research is
needed to gain perspective into the nature of the problems associated with recruiting American
faculty overseas. This study examined the reasons American faculty members noted for deciding
to work at branch campuses in Education City, Qatar.
This literature review examines past studies on faculty recruitment, faculty satisfaction,
and faculty mobility in order to give insight into the possible factors that influence faculty to
work abroad. A section regarding globalization and its impact on higher education will be begin
this chapter, followed with an examination of literature regarding faculty recruitment.
Afterward, literature regarding faculty mobility and the analytical framework of the study will be
reviewed.
Globalization and its Effects on Higher Education
The challenges associated to recruiting faculty to international branch campuses cannot
be understood without first discussing the influence of globalization on higher education. The
phenomenon of globalization has steadily pushed the world into an increasingly integrated
economic marketplace, one in which labor, goods, capital, and ideas are readily accessible and
exchanged between countries (Scott, 2000). A byproduct of technological innovations,
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 20
globalization has been defined as the combination of economic, political, and societal forces that
are propelling higher education toward increasing international involvement (Altbach & Knight,
2007). Because of this phenomenon, countries throughout the world have invested heavily in
knowledge industries, particularly higher education (Altbach & Knight, 2007). These
investments in higher education have resulted in what Levine (2001) describes as a worldwide
shift from an industrial to a knowledge based economy, one in which knowledge is viewed as a
tangible asset for the economic growth and prosperity of countries (Friedman, 2005).
Institutions of higher education have responded to the worldwide demand for knowledge-
workers by utilizing various internationalization initiatives. Often used synonymously with
globalization (Knight, 2004), internationalization is a separate phenomenon defined as the
policies and practices utilized by countries, such as the United States, in response to
globalization (Altbach & Knight, 2007). A prominent example of an offshore initiative is the
international branch campus, which will be discussed later in this chapter.
Motives Behind Internationalization Initiatives
Altbach and Knight (2007) note several motives behind the internationalization initiatives
of American colleges and universities. One motive stems from the increased demand for higher
education that arose from larger cohorts graduating from high school and the knowledge
economy’s inherent need for a skilled labor force. Universities from developed countries such as
the United States have capitalized by providing access to tertiary education to countries that lack
the capacity to meet this demand.
Another key motive behind internationalization projects is profit (Altbach & Knight,
2007). In an ostensible educational gold rush, American universities and colleges are competing
to provide educational services to countries that have limited access to higher education. It is no
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 21
coincidence, then, that a majority of internationalization initiatives are found in developing and
middle-income countries. Many of the leading exporters of higher education services, which
includes institutions from the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, have sought to
capitalize on numerous opportunities, establishing hundreds of programs, partnerships, and
branch campuses in booming economies such as India, China, Singapore, and the Middle East.
The amount of investment in internationalization activities such as establishing branch campus is
vast – countries around the globe continue to spend significant amount on higher education each
year (Altbach & Knight, 2007).
Not all motives behind internationalization efforts, however, have been profit-based or
opportunistic. Many universities have participated in first generation initiatives to provide cross-
cultural experiences for students and faculty to enhance curricula (Altbach & Knight, 2007).
Similarly, countries may use internationalization activities as a part of economic and political
integration. The Bologna process, for example, streamlined the European Union’s academic
system by creating equal academic qualifications for all countries of the European Union. In
contrast, developing countries have sought foreign students to “improve the quality and cultural
composition of the student body, gain prestige, and earn income” (Altbach & Knight, 2007, p.
294). India, for example, hosts more than 8,000 international students at their universities
(Altbach & Knight, 2007).
Progression of Internationalization Initiatives
According to Knight (2011), the internationalization of higher education has progressed
through three generations of offshore initiatives. The first generation describes the early parts of
cross-border education to be a direct export model, which denotes the movement of students and
faculty to various international destinations. For example, the number of international students
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 22
in foreign countries proliferated from roughly 238,000 in the 1960s to 3,300,000 in 2008
(Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, 2010). This dramatic rise in
academic mobility across countries is likely a reflection of the worldwide shift from an industrial
to a knowledge-based society. However, the increased circulation of academics conceals the fact
there is a net brain drain – which is a loss in the number of students and faculty – for some
countries, usually developing countries, and a net brain gain for economically advanced
countries (Knight, 2011). Researchers have estimated the number of international students in
foreign countries will top eight million by 2025 (Bohm, Davis, Meares, & Pearce, 2002), which
connotes student and faculty mobility will likely advance in scope and scale.
In contrast to the movement of student and faculty described by the first generation of
internationalization activities, the second generation entails programs and providers moving
across borders and entering foreign markets. Initiatives such as twinning and franchising
arrangements are examples of overseas program mobility, whereas virtual colleges and branch
campuses are keen examples of overseas provider mobility. Although solid data does not exist
regarding the number of programs and providers engaged in second generation initiatives
(Knight, 2011), many countries have found it more attractive to host foreign universities, in the
form of branch campuses, to expand their supply of higher education (Verbik & Merkley, 2006).
The third and latest generation of overseas initiatives according to Knight (2011) is the
development of education hubs, which build upon and can include first and second generation
initiatives, but is a wider and more strategic arrangement. These hubs are viewed as concerted
efforts by countries to “build a critical mass of education/knowledge actors and strengthen its
efforts to exert more influence in the new marketplace of education” (Knight, 2011, p. 225). Six
countries (or zones, cities) have currently identified themselves as education hubs: Singapore,
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 23
Malaysia, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar (Knight, 2011). Given this
study sampled American faculty working at branch campuses located in Qatar’s education hub,
Education City, the subsequent sections will review the literature pertaining to international
branch campuses in the Middle East.
International Branch Campuses
Although there are differing views on the definition of a branch campus, many agree that
an international branch campus pertains to a university whose primary location – often referred
to as the home campus – is in one country, while a separate campus operates in a sponsoring
country and offers its own degrees (Altbach, 2011). There has been vast growth in the number
of branch campuses throughout the world over the last decade. As illustrated in Table 1, the
number of overseas campuses has quintupled since 2002. There were 200 international branch
campuses at the end of 2011, a vast increase from the 24 branch campuses in operation in 2002
(Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). Overall, the number of receiving (host) countries outpaced the
number of sending (home) countries. More than 50 countries imported international branch
campuses at the end of 2011, with Middle Eastern countries hosting nearly one-third of all
branch campuses in the world (Wilkins & Balakrishnan, 2011), which included countries such as
Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (Gulf Comparative
Education Society, 2011). Conversely, 24 different countries supplied branch campuses at the
end of 2011, with the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom leading the way,
respectively.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 24
Table 1

Growth of International Branch Campuses from 2002-2011
Detail 2002 2006 2009 2011
Total number of branch campuses 24 82 162 200
Number of sending (home) countries 17 22 24
Number of receiving (host) countries 36 52 67
Number of branch campuses hosted by region:

Africa 5 11
Asia 44 57
Europe 32 39
Latin America 18 24
Middle East 55 59
North America 8 10
Sources: Becker, 2009; Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012.
American research universities, in particular, have led the way in establishing overseas
campuses for many reasons, some of which include monetary gain and seeking to enhance their
reputation and strengthen academic standards. Other reasons for this rate of expansion stem
from the belief that branch campuses fulfill a vital role in meeting the worldwide demand for
access to higher education (Wilkens & Balakrishnan, 2011) and satisfying a growing portion of
society who believe degrees are requisite to greater opportunities and earnings (Altbach & Salmi,
2011). Markedly, the number of American branch campuses increased by nearly 20 percent
since 2009 despite risks associated with sustaining branch campuses (Becker, 2009).
For all its benefits and appeal, branch campuses are not without significant concerns as it
relates to the quality of programs offered. As the number of branch campuses continues to grow,
there will be an increase in the demand for faculty to work at these campuses. According to
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 25
Altbach (2011), offshore campuses must be able recruit faculty members to work at minimum a
semester or longer. In other words, branch campuses cannot expect to be providing the same
academic experience found at the home campus if faculty members are flying-in to teach for
brief periods at a time. This sentiment has been echoed by researchers (Rumbley, Pacheco &
Altbach, 2008; Fielden & Gillard, 2011) who voiced concern about the unwillingness of
domestic faculty to work at international branch campuses. This study addressed these concerns
by examining the personal and professional benefits that attracted American faculty to work at
branch campuses in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar.
Concerns Regarding Branch Campuses in the Middle East
Literature indicates the Middle East region has struggled to meet conditions necessary to
be full and productive members of a knowledge economy, lagging other regions in the quest to
build knowledge-based economies and societies. As the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed,
stated, “There is a wide knowledge gap between us and the developed world in the West and in
Asia. Our only choice is to bridge this gap as quickly as possible, because our age is defined by
knowledge” (Gulf Comparative Education Society, 2011, p. 43).
In response, many Middle Eastern countries have sought foreign providers of higher
education to bolster the reputation of the host country and create interest from their citizenry to
pursue higher education (Lane, 2011). As mentioned earlier, a report by the Observatory on
Borderless Higher Education (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012) identified the Middle East as the
region hosting the greatest number of overseas campuses at the end of 2011. However, the
report also found a greater number of new branches scheduled to open in Asia than the Middle
East. Thirty-seven new branch campuses are scheduled to open in 2013, with only one slated to
open in the Middle East. Also, Asian countries experienced the greatest increase in the number
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 26
of branches established from 2009 to 2011, closely followed by Middle Eastern countries (57 to
59 branch campuses, respectively). As it stands, the reasons for the slowing growth of branch
campuses in the Middle East remain unclear. The challenges associated with attracting domestic
faculty to work in a Middle Eastern country, such as Qatar, may pertain to issues relating to the
political, economic, and societal climate of the region.
In general, operating an international branch campus poses a unique set of challenges for
American universities and colleges. Establishing a campus overseas requires much more than
simply offering academic programs in another country. New branch campuses must adapt its
policies to meet the cultural, legal, and environmental practices of the host country, which are
typically disparate from the home campus. Administrators from home institutions likely need to
make extensive efforts to understand the local culture and expectations of local officials before
agreeing to a partnership with a foreign government (Harding & Lammey, 2011). For example,
safety requirements can vary from country to country, including fundamental safety aspects such
as fire exits, sprinklers, and fire detectors (Harding & Lammey, 2011). Furthermore,
employment laws regarding wages, employment benefits, and employment rights may vary
within the region (Harding & Lammey, 2011). Even living arrangements and student activities
can be impacted by the cultural practices of the host country (Lane, 2011). American faculty
members who are unaware of these nuances may be discouraged from working at branch
campuses in Qatar and other regional locales.
Another concern for American faculty stems from countries in the Middle East asserting
authority over many, if not all, aspects of tertiary education occurring within their borders (Lane,
2011). Although American branch campuses were created in the Middle East under the premise
of guiding the host country toward higher educational outcomes, research found that host
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 27
countries retain control in key operational and administrative facets of the branch campus
(Cichocki, 2005). The Qatar Foundation, for example, owns the land and buildings in which
branch campuses are located, paying for a large portion of the required costs to maintain the
campuses, which allows the Qatar Foundation to retain control over key aspects of branch
campuses, such as limiting the types of programs that may be offered (Qatar Foundation, 2012).
Additionally, the ever-changing political landscape of the Middle East can affect the way
in which branch campuses operate (Altbach, 2011). The political unrest of the Arab Spring – a
term used to describe a watershed of revolutions that has ushered political upheavals throughout
the Middle East – serve as a recent example of how unpredictable the political conditions and
practices can be within the region. Aside from the Arab Spring, policies regarding the direction
of higher education have emerged, many of which seek to limit faculty participation in
governance (Mazawi, 2005). As a result, feelings of resentment have been evoked from faculty
in the region toward their respective institutions (Mazawi, 2005). American faculty members
who seek equal levels of autonomy found at their home campus may be deterred by the
regulatory practices of the host country.
Public Mission of Branch Campuses in Qatar
Dubai is one of the largest importers of higher education in the Middle East. Host of 27
international branch campuses, Dubai has pursued the development of branch campuses using a
private model, which is vastly different than the public model used in Qatar. What follows is a
discussion of these two countries in order to juxtapose Qatar to another prominent host country
in the Middle East.
A “free zone” that exempts foreign education providers from federal rules and regulations
related to education, Dubai International Academic City was created in an attempt to increase the
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 28
number of international branch campuses within its borders (Lane, 2011). The zone has thus far
been successful in recruiting branch campuses to Dubai, but the model in which it operates lends
itself to several issues. According to the Gulf Comparative Education Society, Dubai created the
zone so international branch campuses could freely operate using a private model of operation,
with their success or failure determined by the marketplace. Thus, in essence, the success of
each branch campus is largely tied to its business plan and ability to attract students (Gulf
Comparative Education Society, 2011). With currently 27 academic institutions, many of which
offering the same academic programs, Dubai International Academic City elicits competition
between branch campuses rather than the collaborative environment found at branch campuses in
Qatar. While separate quality assurance mechanisms have been established to insure each
branch campus operates comparably to its home campus (Gulf Comparative Education Society,
2011), uncertainty remains whether the quality of American faculty working at Dubai’s overseas
campuses are comparable to those found at home campuses.
At the other end of the spectrum from Dubai, international branch campuses in Qatar
pursue a more public mission (Lane & Kinser 2011). The Qatar Foundation, which was created
and funded by the Qatari government, selected only foreign institutions and programs of higher
education that would support its mission of promoting education, research, and community
development (Qatar Foundation, 2012). By regulating the number of institutions and programs
in its borders, Qatar filters international branch campuses toward specialized educational
outcomes, reduces competition, and increases coordination between universities (Gulf
Comparative Education Society, 2011). Qatar Foundation’s flagship project, Qatar Education
City, is a 1000-hectare campus located in the capital city of Doha that houses its branch
campuses. It is estimated Qatar has already invested over two billion U.S. dollars toward the
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 29
development of Qatar Education City (Witte, 2010), signifying the level of commitment the
country has placed toward developing graduates who are prepared for the twenty-first century
knowledge economy (Knight & Morshidi, 2011).
The original aim of the Qatar Foundation was to recruit a single foreign institution that
was highly regarded in multiple disciplines (Wilkins, 2011); however, several top-tier
universities were recruited instead, each specializing in a specific discipline. Universities from
France, the United Kingdom, and the United States were recruited to Qatar Education City
(Asquith, 2006). Six American universities were given permission to establish branch campuses
in Qatar Education City: Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Northwestern
University, Texas A&M University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Though each
university offers a different field of study for students, questions have emerged about the
appropriateness of having many foreign institutions in Qatar. Wilkins (2011) cautioned that
branch campuses would acquire significant influence over the country in the near future, and
noted the delivery of standardized curricula may not be germane to the Qatari culture.
Conservative and strongly rooted in traditional Islamic values, beliefs and educational
traditions, Qatari customs can create challenges for American faculty teaching in Education City
(Rostron, 2009). The current religious-based system of education in Qatar, for example, is
strongly supported by religious scholars, parents, educators and students, all of whom oppose the
liberal arts approach taken by American universities in Education City (Rostron, 2009). Adding
to these challenges, over fifty-percent of students in Education City are Qatari (Asquith, 2006),
most of whom are accustomed to a religion-centered approach to education. American faculty
members who are recruited to work at branch campuses in Qatar should have an understanding
of these conditions before committing to work abroad.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 30
In summary, Middle Eastern countries such as Dubai and Qatar have utilized contrasting
strategies to establish branch campuses. American faculty members who are considering
appointments in the Middle East should understand the economic, political, cultural, and societal
contexts of the country recruiting them. This study sought to examine the reasons why American
faculty decided to work at branch campuses in Qatar’s Education City. The subsequent sections
will discuss literature pertaining to the challenges associated with recruiting American faculty to
overseas branch campuses.
Challenges with Recruiting American Faculty Overseas
The central element to the sustainment of internationalization activities in higher
education is faculty engagement (LeBeau, 2010). Faculty who are mobile and participate in
international services, such as teaching or conducting research at overseas campuses, are better
able to influence higher education and society (O’Hara, 2009). The subsequent paragraphs will
focus on studies that examine participation rates of American faculty overseas, detail the benefits
of faculty mobility, and discuss factors that affect American faculty mobility.
Finkelstein, Walker, and Chen (2007) provide a definition of internationalization that
describes faculty mobility, referring to it as the “increasing permeability of national boundaries
in faculty research and teaching and the increasing mobility of...faculty across borders” (p. 3).
Faculty internationalization, otherwise known as faculty mobility, characterizes when scholars
teach and conduct research in a culture and region beyond their home country (O’Hara, 2009).
Branch campuses hoping to dispel the notion that their quality is subpar to home campuses
should foster the mobility of American faculty. This study sought to examine factors that
advanced or hindered American faculty mobility to branch campuses in Education City.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 31
Over the years research found American faculty had poor levels of engagement in
internationalization efforts. Scholars from the United States were ranked as the least mobile
among the 14 countries studied in a 1992 Carnegie Foundation International Survey (Altbach &
Lewis, 1996), reporting only one-third of all American faculty members took a trip overseas to
teach or conduct research. For faculty who did decide to teach overseas, they only spent less
than six months abroad. A later study by Finkelstein, et al. (2007) found little progress since the
1992 survey. They reported American faculty members still lagged behind their foreign peers in
international engagement, further evidence of issues in recruiting American faculty overseas.
Stohl (2007) elaborated on the barriers related to American faculty engagement in
internationalization. One barrier was the lack of international verbiage placed in the mission
statements of American colleges and universities, signifying a lack of direction or involvement in
international activities. Stohl (2007) also mentioned the research responsibilities of faculty as a
barrier to international engagement, given institutions of higher education often place a greater
emphasis on research over teaching. What these barriers connote is the influence that
institutional policies or culture can have on faculty participation overseas. They help to provide
insight into why American faculty members remain reluctant to engage in overseas initiatives
(LeBeau, 2010). In order to overcome these obstacles and induce American faculty to work
abroad, branch campuses would likely need to provide relevant incentives and benefits. As it
currently stands, the majority of American faculty remains disinclined to work overseas.
To summarize the previous sections, globalization has propelled higher education in the
twenty-first century toward a knowledge-based economy, prompting countries to seek a highly
educated workforce and establish branch campuses in regions such as the Middle East.
American universities that established branch campuses in the Middle East face unique
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 32
challenges with regard to recruiting domestic faculty. A recent report by the Observatory on
Borderless Higher Education (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012) noted 37 branch campuses are
planned to open within the next three years, none of which in the Middle East. While the reason
for this finding is unclear, the challenges associated with recruiting American faculty remains a
viable explanation. In order to provide greater context of the challenges associated to recruiting
American faculty overseas, the following section will discuss previous faculty recruitment
strategies and models.
Faculty Recruitment Strategies and Models
Faculty recruitment has been generally described as the result of push versus pull effects
between competing employment opportunities (Matier, 1988). Push effects describe when the
conditions at a person’s current employment impel them to search for new job opportunities. For
example, one study found faculty members to be more likely to accept an offer from an outside
employer when they are dissatisfied with their current employment situations (Matier, 1988). In
terms of faculty recruitment, studies have found pull effects to be generally more effective than
push effects. An example of a pull effect is when a university markets and brands itself to attract
faculty away from their previous employer. A study by Collins and Stevens (2002) found
advertising to have a significant impact on applicant’s perception of the organization and job
opportunity. Similarly, Collins and Smith (2006) found organizations that communicate positive
details about salary, growth opportunities, and organizational culture through detailed
recruitment ads could create positive perceptions about the brand and image of the organization.
This suggests branch campuses can be proactive in helping faculty form positive impressions
about the institution by providing readily available information to faculty through mediums such
as social media and websites.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 33
Pull effects can also be understood through the applicant attraction model developed by
Rynes and Barber (1989), which noted institutions can utilize three distinct strategies for
increasing the likelihood of attracting faculty: modify faculty incentives, adjust recruitment
practices, and target a wider pool of applicants. These strategies can affect multiple outcomes,
such as the number of applicants or rate of acceptance, but can be affected by the institutional
policies and budgetary restrictions. Although the model could be used to examine how
institutions of higher education utilize strategies to attract faculty, it was intended for the context
of institutions in the United States and does not account for nuances associated to overseas
institutions.
Past studies have used other approaches to explain pull effects. Joiner (2005) compared
the process of faculty recruitment as an auction. During this auction, faculty members receive
bids – that come in the form of incentive packages or benefits – from institutions for their
services, and institutions attempt to predict faculty members’ success and performance, which is
reflected in the bid amount. A major flaw of this approach is the value of an applicant is largely
subjective and nebulous. Bids placed by institutions will be dependent on a variety of factors,
such as its goals, preferences, and financial resources. This auction model suggests branch
campuses with greater monetary resources could likely secure the best applicants by outbidding
their competitors, which is a large assumption if the offer is not compatible to the personal
preferences of the faculty member.
An earlier study by Rahman (2001) suggested a model that takes into account the
personal preferences of the applicant as the key component of the recruitment process. The
model proposes a systematic view of the recruitment process, asserting faculty recruitment to be
a three-step sequence. The first stage entails communicating the job opportunity, followed by
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 34
convincing faculty to value the opportunity, leading ultimately to the consummation of a faculty
appointment. Although there are merits for the general sequence of this model, the descriptions
of the stages seem irrelevant since faculty who seek appointments likely already value the
opportunity. Moreover, the second stage merely states faculty must be convinced of the
position’s value in order to be recruited, but does not expound on the process of how to convince
them.
Breaugh and Starke (2000) offered a more comprehensive model of the recruitment
process. According to the model, the first step in the process is to establish clear recruitment
objectives. Rather than the single recruitment goal of attracting a large number of applicants, the
model involves a wider range of recruitment objectives that are focused on employee retention,
the speed at which positions are filled, and the diversity of the workplace. After establishing a
core set of objectives, an organization develops a strategy and uses particular activities to
achieve its desired results. The model also incorporates intervening variables to explain the
relationship between recruitment activities and outcomes. These include applicant interest,
comprehension, and attraction. The latter of these factors, attraction, is a major point of
emphasis in the analytical framework of this study, the faculty mobility model.
Theoretical Framework
Based on the literature reviewed in this chapter it was clear the analytical framework of
this study would need to consider the overlapping factors pertinent to the push-pull analogy. The
framework would need to incorporate the variety of considerations that could influence an
American faculty member, since push and pull effects can occur from both the branch campus
and current employer. For instance, a generous salary offer from a branch campus could be a
pull (attraction) effect for faculty to work abroad, while cultural differences could be a push
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 35
(deterrent) effect from them working abroad, leading them to either leave or remain at their
current college or university in the United States.
Drawing from the work of Matier’s (1988) faculty migration model, there are three
aspects involved in an American faculty member’s decision to join a branch campus: (a) the
individual’s ease of moving overseas, (b) the individual’s desire to relocate, (c) the rationale used
to make a decision, which is based on a balance between inducements and contributions, and (d)
the decision made by the faculty member to work domestically or overseas. The relationship
between these elements is illustrated below in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Overview of the Faculty Migration Model. This figure illustrates the process of how

professoriates decide to work abroad.

Matier’s (1988) model conveys faculty members who decide to leave their current
workplace for branch campuses will result from a balance between inducements and
contributions. Inducements are defined as benefits given by the organization to the individual,
whereas contributions are benefits the individual is expected to provide an institution. American
Ease of Moving
Overseas
Individual’s Desire to
Relocate
Balance Between
Inducements and
Contributions
1
Stay or Work
Overseas
2
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 36
faculty will have a desire to relocate only if the benefits offered by branch campuses outweigh
the benefits offered by their current employers; otherwise, they are apt to stay with their current
employers out of preference or need. Simply put, faculty conclude whether there is a reasonable
balance between what is given to them and what is asked of them, which, in turn, leads to a
decision whether or not to join a branch campus.
The faculty migration model divides benefits offered by branch campuses into two
categories: work-related (personal) and non-work-related (professional). A faculty member’s
career objective is an example of a personal consideration, whereas faculty salary is an example
of a professional consideration. Table 2 provides other examples of personal and professional
considerations.
Table 2

Examples of Personal and Professional Considerations from the Faculty Migration Model
Category Examples
Personal Considerations
Demographic information (age, gender, marital status);
standard of living; perceptions of the location;
differences in culture; political climate; family
acceptance; jobs for a spouse; schools available for
children; desire for change or adventure
Professional Considerations
Personal reputation, institutional reputation, autonomy,
influence, job market, career goals, alary, facilities,
opportunity for research, fringe benefits

A major assumption of the model is American faculty members’ desire to relocate is tied
more to the benefits from their current employer than those offered by a branch campus. In
essence, then, part of American faculty members’ decisions to work overseas likely stems more
from the push effects of their current employer rather than the pull effects of the prospective
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 37
branch campus. Stated differently, professors are more apt to accept an appointment because of
dissatisfaction with their current employers than they are to be enticed by alternative
employment opportunities. This purpose of this study was to confirm or disapprove these
assumptions by examining the benefits that induced American faculty to work in Qatar’s
Education City.
In summary, Matier’s (1988) faculty migration model is salient for the context of this
study not only because it accounts for the manner in which faculty rationalize their decisions, it
also considers the personal and professional considerations that influence their decisions to work
at an alternative employer, such as an international branch campus. Having already discussed
general differences between professional and personal benefits that affect faculty recruitment,
details regarding specific benefits will be discussed in the following sections.
Professional Considerations
Pay Satisfaction. The job and pay satisfaction levels of faculty have important
implications for international branch campuses. A great deal of empirical research has
documented the influence that pay satisfaction has on job satisfaction. Past research notes that
job satisfaction is correlated to faculty motivation, performance, and turnover (Griffeth, Hom, &
Gaertner, 2000), while compensation is correlated to increased work motivation for employees
(Igalens & Roussel, 1999).
Ehrenberg, Kasper, and Rees (1991) found higher compensations levels to be also
correlated to higher faculty retention levels at American universities and colleges. A study
supported this notion, asserting that the simplest means of boosting job satisfaction of faculty is
to increase salary levels (Rosser, 2004); however, a major flaw of this study stems from wage
differentials between genders were not adequately addressed.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 38
Hagedorn (1996) explored the topic of female job and pay satisfaction by surveying over
1500 female faculty members from both two-year and four-year American institutions. The
study indicated as wage differentials increases, job satisfaction of female faculty decreases.
Moreover, the study argues several reasons for wage differentials between genders. One source
derives from more women than men participating in the academic profession on a part-time
basis, which generally impedes rank promotion, significantly reduces collegiality, and transmits
the message that academe is not one’s life pursuit (Hagedorn, 1996). The problematic aspect of
this argument, however, assumes women prefer to work part-time instead of full-time positions.
Another reason given for the wage gap is the disparate number of female and male faculty who
are willing or able to relocate for career advancement. Research studying the relationship
between marriage and career mobility have asserted that married women frequently pare down
their mobility in favor of advancement in their spouses’ career (Hurst, 1993). This argument,
however, is unclear whether female immobility is attributed solely to personal reasons or a lack
of opportunities that require relocation.
Beyond issues of wage differentials existing between genders, Rumbley et al. (2008)
found significant differences amongst faculty salaries throughout the world, with faculty from
developed countries enjoying higher salaries than faculty from less developed countries. Their
study also found branch campuses in less developed countries offered higher salaries to induce
American faculty to work overseas. However, a research project between the Center for
International Higher Education at Boston College and the Higher School of Economics in Russia
found academic salaries were no longer sufficient to attract faculty to work overseas. Likewise,
Altbach et al. (2012) found higher salaries alone to be ineffective in attracting American faculty
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 39
to work at overseas campuses. Thus, branch campuses in Education City may likely need
alternative methods aside from higher salaries to recruit American professoriates.
Institutional Reputation Communicated by Recruiters. Given the integral role
recruiters play in the recruitment process, it is no surprise considerable research has been
dedicated toward the influence a recruiter can have on job applicants. An early study by
Alderfer and McCord (1970) found recruiters’ behaviors, such as providing ample information
about the job and displaying genuine interest in the applicant, were associated with applicants’
expectations of receiving a job offer and the likelihood they would accept the offer. Following
Alderfer and McCord’s study, Macan and Dipboye (1990) found applicants who perceive
recruiters as being informative and personable also viewed the prospective job and organization
as being more attractive. These positive responses to the job and organization were, in turn,
associated with higher probability of receiving and accepting a job offer.
Research also examined whether recruiter demographics or level of training were
associated to applicant perceptions. In general, these studies found little or no evidence of
recruiter demographics, such as gender, to be associated with applicants’ reactions to the
recruitment process (Barber, 1998). However, research found the competence of recruiters
during interviews and site visits to be representative of broad organizational characteristics
(Rynes, Bretz, & Gerhart, 1991).
While there is considerable evidence that informative and personable recruiters are
associated with positive recruitment outcomes, research purports current employees are
perceived as a more credible source of information than full-time recruiters (Coleman & Irving,
1997). One possible explanation for this finding stems from recruiters who are unfamiliar with
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 40
the job and the workplace environment. It seems sensible that faculty members would expect
other faculty to have more knowledge about the work environment than recruiters.
Perceptions Elicited by Recruitment Methods. Over the years, another topic of
research has been the use of different sources to recruit applicants and whether they are
associated to positive outcomes. Ullman (1966) found employees who were recruited via
informal means, such as employee referrals and traditional applications have lower turnover rates
than employees recruited by formal means such as newspapers and advertisements. A study
following Ullman’s work also found employees who were recruited by formal means to have
higher levels of turnover and lower levels of satisfaction than those recruited by more informal
sources (Breaugh, 1992).
In order to examine whether recruitment sources resulted in specific outcomes, studies
needed to gather data from applicants rather than newly hired employees. One of the few studies
that have explored the impact of recruitment sources on applicants found results similar to those
found by Ullman: persons recruited from informal sources to be highly desirable and of higher
quality (Williams, Labig, & Stone, 1993). A possible explanation of this finding may be due to
factors such as the motivation and training of faculty; however, this suggestion remains
inconclusive. As noted by Breaugh and Starke (2000), research on faculty recruitment should
concentrate on factors that are influential prior to appointment acceptances.
Research over the years has deepened the understanding of recruiters and their effects on
applicants’ perceptions of the organization and job opportunities. In several cases, research has
shown recruiters can influence whether or not applicants accept a job offer. Recruiters working
for international branch campuses should be cognizant of their influence on American faculty
members’ interests and perceptions of the branch campus and job opportunity.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 41
Personal Considerations
Faculty members do not join an institution solely due to professional benefits such as job
satisfaction and perceptions of the workplace (Johnsrud & Rosser, 2002). An ancillary issue to
attracting faculty to branch campuses is non-work-related factors, otherwise understood as
personal benefits American faculty must consider before working at a branch campus. In order
for branch campuses to appeal to potential faculty members, they must address the personalities,
preferences, expectancies, values, and skills each faculty member brings with them to their jobs
(Sanderson, Phua, & Herda, 2000). A robust amount of literature illuminates different personal
benefits, with a significant dedicated toward the topics of faculty morale and career goals.
Faculty Morale. Altbach and Lewis (1996) compared the perceptions and morale of
American faculty to academic professionals from thirteen countries with well-developed higher
education systems. They could not conclude faculty morale to be good or bad, but noted the
world’s professoriate express high levels of discontent. The principal explanation given by
faculty participants for why they might join institutions include available resources for research,
compensation, and to a lesser extent the school’s academic reputation, geographic location and
potential relationship with colleagues.
Other studies have found the conditions that affect faculty morale as well. Dee (2004)
detected a relationship between faculty turnover with organizational support and collegial
relationships among colleagues. Rosser (2004) supported this notion, suggesting academic
professionals’ perceptions of the work environment to have a powerful influence on their intent
to leave for another opportunity. Assuming the level of support provided by an institution to be a
corollary of its financial well being, schools with abundant financial resources will likely have
faculty with higher morale. International branch campuses seeking to bolster faculty recruitment
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 42
may benefit from promoting collegiality between colleagues and offering them back-office
support needed for research.
Job Expectations and Goals. Another topic researchers have given considerable
attention has been realistic job previews. Job previews entail an employer disclosing information
to an applicant about the organization that would be learned only through working at the
organization, such as the culture of the workplace. In essence, job previews are subtle forms of
advertisement meant to build rapport with applicants during the early parts of the recruitment
process. Several job preview models suggest that information provided to job applicants can
increase the probability they will accept a job offer.
An early study on realistic job previews by Colarelli (1984) found information provided
directly from employers during interviews would have more positive recruitment effects than
using brochures. Following Colarelli’s study, Phillips (1998) found effects of realistic job
previews were stronger when job previews were provided verbally – via interviews or telephone
– instead of videotape or written communication. On a similar note, Barber (1998) intimated
branch campuses that offer pertinent information at multiple points of the recruitment process
could lessen applicants’ level of anxiety, and in turn, increase the number of faculty members
who accept appointments.
Summary
Utilizing Matier’s (1988) framework, this study explored the work related and non-work
related reasons that attract American faculty to the six American branch campuses in Qatar
Education City. The literature supported the need to examine the reasons for American faculty
work at international branch campuses in the Middle East, highlighting the various personal and
professional benefits faculty must consider. The effects of globalization have led international
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 43
branch campuses to offer diverse incentives to attract faculty, which were explored in this study.
Data from this study provided a rich description of the benefits branch campuses in Qatar have
utilized to navigate the challenge of recruiting American faculty overseas.

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 44
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The effect of globalization in the twenty-first century has impelled colleges and
universities in the United States to respond by using an array of internationalization initiatives.
Initiatives such as creating new academic programs, partnerships, or alternative practices and
policies have been utilized to address the political, economic, and societal influences of
globalization. Prominent examples of internationalization initiatives are the American branch
campuses found at Qatar’s Education City. An initiative of the Qatar Foundation of Education,
Science and Community Development, Qatar Education City was conceived with the purpose of
transforming Qatar into a modern knowledge-based economy and becoming the center of
academic excellence in the region (Qatar Foundation, 2012). The six American universities the
Qatar Foundation has recruited thus far include Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown
University, Northwestern University, Texas A & M University, Virginia Commonwealth
University, and Weill Cornell Medical College.
As American colleges and universities continue to promote their brands throughout the
world by establishing overseas campuses, research has examined various aspects of these
initiatives. Although past studies note the sustainability of branch campuses is tied to obtaining
long-term commitments from American faculty to teach abroad (Rumbley, Pacheco, & Altbach,
2008; Edelstein & Douglass, 2012), research has yet to detail the personal and professional
reasons why American faculty accept or decline opportunities to work overseas. A majority of
the literature regarding faculty recruitment details the attitudes and values of professors, but does
not explain how or why they arrive at their decisions to work overseas. As such, findings from
this mixed methods study were needed to fill a significant gap in faculty recruitment literature
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 45
and provide empirical evidence pertinent for branch campuses as they establish and refine
recruitment practices.
Research Questions
This study sought to answer the following overarching research question and two sub-
questions to better understand the factors relevant to recruiting American faculty to international
branch campuses.
1. Overarching research question: What factors induced American faculty to work at
branch campuses in Qatar Education City?
A. Sub-question: What were the personal considerations that induced them to work in
Education City, and which had the greatest influence on their decisions?
B. Sub-question: What were the professional considerations that induced them to work in
Education City, and which had the greatest influence on their decisions?
Mixed Methods Research Methodology
Qualitative Methods
The use of qualitative methodology to answer the research questions of this study was
aligned with Patton’s (2002) view that individuals, such as American faculty, construct
knowledge and meaning according to their experiences. In order to understand the factors that
influence faculty to work overseas, the researcher utilized forms of research methods that, as
Merriam (1997) notes, aid in explaining the meaning of events in social science settings. These
methods included interviews and analysis of online documents (Patton, 2001). By utilizing
qualitative inquiry, the researcher was better able to interpret the nature and source of the
problems associated with recruiting American faculty to branch campuses at Education City
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 46
(Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). Thus, it is important to understand the benefits and limitations of
qualitative research.
As Merriam (1997) suggests, qualitative research has been understood by five underlying
principles that form the basis of its mode of inquiry. These tenets include (a) utilizing inductive
over deductive reasoning in research, (b) the researcher being regarded as the primary tool for
collecting data, (c) the researcher collecting data through field research, (d) the researcher
gathering detailed descriptions from data, and (e) the researcher attempting to understand the
meaning a sample population attributes to their experiences.
The first principle Merriam (1997) used to describe the qualitative scientific method is
the use of inductive reasoning during research. Inductive reasoning uses information from
research to formulate theories and confirm ideas of how events in the world take place (Patton,
2001), such as how personal and professional considerations influence American faculty to work
abroad. Qualitative research begins by collecting and analyzing data, and afterward using that
data to generate hypotheses and draw conclusions. This study began by utilizing the methods
stated earlier to postulate theories rather than testing already established ones. The researcher
then collected data to investigate and understand the factors influencing American faculty, and
utilized Matier’s (1988) theoretical framework to ground the analysis and findings of the study.
Matier’s (1988) faculty migration framework was described in chapter two.
Another aspect of qualitative study is the distinction of the researcher as the tool for data
collection and analysis. During qualitative inquiry, the researcher can modify and adapt open-
ended survey questions to probe further into a participant’s experience. Tradeoffs between
inquiries that pursue scope versus depth occurred when the researcher created the survey and
interview questions to collect data (Merriam, 1997). Interviews were set in a format that
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 47
provided topics within which the researcher was free to inquire, probe, and adapt questions
toward select issues, which helped to capture the complexities of topics from their faculty
members’ perceptions and experiences (Patton, 2001).
The collection of data from fieldwork is another tenet of qualitative research. Fieldwork
entails research being conducted at the location where participants go to school, live, or work
(Pintrich & Schunk, 2001). However, the choice of conducting research in the field can depend
on variances in time, resources, purpose of the study, and availability of participants. Given the
researcher’s limited availability and resources to conduct research in the field, interviews were
conducted in Qatar over the course of three days with American faculty from each of the five
branch campuses.
The last aspect of qualitative research suggested by Merriam (1997) is the notion that
qualitative research seeks to understand how people make sense of and give meaning to their
experiences. For purposes of this study, the researcher had to be adept at creating the survey
protocol and analyzing the data for meaningful and significant findings. The value of the data
obtained in this qualitative study was a result of the methodological sensitivity, aptitude, and
truthfulness of the researcher (Patton, 2001). The researcher analyzed data using Matier’s (1988)
faculty migration framework to guide findings and give credibility to the study.
Potential drawbacks of qualitative research should be noted as well. Miles and
Huberman (2004) remarked concerns with qualitative researchers becoming overwhelmed in the
demands of collecting, analyzing, and using data. They contend this drawback may stem from
the researcher’s ability to conduct interviews, record data, and analyze findings from an unbiased
perspective. Although downsides of qualitative research exist and advantages for utilizing
quantitative methods may be argued, qualitative methods were necessary to gather data that
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 48
provided insight into the personal and professional benefits that attract faculty to work in
Education City.
Quantitative Methods
Proponents of qualitative inquiry note that quantitative research forces participants “to fit
their knowledge, experiences, and feelings into the researcher’s categories” (Patton, 2002, p.
348). However, quantitative surveys were also practical for this study since categories from the
faculty migration model guided the survey protocol, which consisted of multiple-choice and
Likert scale questions. The Likert scales inquired into the level of influence specific benefits had
on American members’ decisions to work abroad, and were anchored by 5 choices: 1 = “Very
Negative,” 2 = “Slightly Negative,” “3 = Neutral or Unsure,” 4 = “Slightly Positive,” and 5 =
“Very Positive.” Descriptive statistics were computed for all benefits and several demographic
categories.
Case Study Research Design

The design strategy utilized for this inquiry was a collective case study, wherein there
was one unit of analysis – American faculty members working at Qatar Education City. A case
study design was appropriate for this study since the research questions inquire into the reasons
why challenges exist with recruiting American faculty members to branch campuses (Yin, 2006).
Although there are numerous methods of conducting social science research and arguments can
be made for each one, they each have their own advantages and disadvantages that are related to
the phenomenon being studied (Patton, 2001).
Circumstances of interest in educational research are, for the most part, about people and
programs (Stake, 1995). Qualitative inquiry is interested in particular cases for both their
commonality and uniqueness (Stake, 1995). An advantage of a case study approach, as noted by
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 49
Patton (2001), is its capacity to address research questions that reveal findings specific to the
context of the study. Case studies are an appropriate research design when the goal of the
inquiry is to provide a detailed description and analysis of a given phenomenon, instance or
social unit (Merriam, 1997), such as challenges associated with recruiting American faculty
overseas. Research that utilizes case studies can help explain the reasons why a problem exists,
and can explain reasons why a program, such as recruitment programs used by branch campuses
to attract faculty, succeed or fail (Merriam, 1997).
Given these parameters and the aforementioned research questions, the use of case
studies was an appropriate choice for the design of this study. This study’s central purpose was
to discover the factors involved in inducing American professoriates to work at one of the six
American branch campuses in Education City. Utilizing qualitative case studies allowed the
researcher to obtain detailed, firsthand accounts of why American faculty decided to work at
branch campuses in Education City. As Stake (1995) suggests, the cases picked for the study
were accessible and hospitable to the inquiry. Cases were selected based on constraints
regarding time and access for fieldwork.
Population and Sample
The population of this study was the total number of faculty currently working at five of
the six American branch campuses in Education City (Table 1). Administrators at Education
City approximated there to be 294 faculty members working at the five participating branch
campuses, with 171 of them being American citizens (personal communication, September 11,
2012). Table 3 displays the estimated number of faculty for each branch campus.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 50
Table 3
Estimated Number of Faculty at Participating Branch Campuses
Branch Campus Number of Faculty
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar 39
Northwestern University in Qatar 38
Texas A & M University in Qatar 86
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar 66
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar 65

Sources: http://myeducationcity.com, personal communication

In general, the number of faculty who participated in the study varied for each branch
campus. The researcher did not expect the entire population would participate in the study,
given the sample was narrowed according to a set of criteria (Table 4) and their interest in the
study.
Sampling began by soliciting each branch campus to agree to partake in the study. After
the branch campus agreed to participate, the researcher then sought aid from administrators at
each campus to disseminate the survey to their respective faculty. Thereafter, interviewees were
solicited and each professor was asked to sign a consent form that was approved by the
institutional review board of the University of Southern California (Appendix C).
The sample of this study were American faculty who transferred to the branch campus or
worked at a domestic campus before joining the branch, but excluded American faculty who visit
the campus only on a short-term basis and do not currently reside in Qatar. The unit of analysis
of this study was the 171 American faculty members working at the five participating branch
campuses. Table 4 lists the four criteria that faculty needed to meet in order to participate in
both the interviews and online survey.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 51
Table 4
Four Criteria Used to Identify Participants of the Study
Criteria
1. The faculty member is an American citizen who currently resides in Qatar.
2. The faculty member does not “fly-in” to teach in durations of less than a month at a time.
3. The faculty member teaches a course, conducts research, or works in an administrative or
leadership position at the branch campus.
4. The faculty member lived in the United States prior to working at the branch campus.

A review of international staffing strategies shows there to be three types of academic
staff working at international branch campuses. These include (a) locally recruited faculty, (b)
internationally faculty, and (c) “fly-in” faculty from domestic campuses who visit the branch
campus to teach weekend courses (Fielden & Gillard, 2011). Visiting faculty, otherwise known
as “fly-in” faculty (Altbach, 2011), were not chosen since this study sought to query only
American faculty who live in Qatar. Furthermore, this study interviewed only faculty who
identified with the four categories listed above.
In terms of characteristics, American faculty of any age or gender was asked to
participate, and the sample included faculty with a range of educational history and work
responsibilities at the branch. Faculty members who were asked to participate in the study
ranged from those in administrative or leadership positions to adjunct and clinical faculty. By
surveying faculty who currently work in specific capacities at the branch, the researcher sought
to narrow the case study and garner a firsthand account of the benefits that induced American
faculty to work at Education City.
Instrumentation
The researcher served as the instrument of data collection for this mixed methods
research study. An inductive research study, wherein research begins by first collecting and
analyzing data to afterward draw conclusions and generate hypotheses, was implemented to
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 52
examine the factors that attracted American faculty to branch campuses in Qatar Education City.
The researcher collected data by conducting interviews and using a survey with Likert scale and
multiple-choice questions. The general interview guide approach of this study facilitated data
analysis by outlining a set of topics that were explored with each participant (Patton, 2001).
Interview and survey protocols for American faculty working at the American branch
campuses were the primary methods of instrumentation in this study (Appendix A & B). The
protocol was submitted to and approved by the University of Southern California Institutional
Review Board. The three categories of Matier’s (1988) faculty migration model served to guide
the questions used in the survey protocol. The categories included professional benefits, such as
salary, institutional reputation, autonomy and influence, and personal benefits, which included
standard of living and various familial considerations.
Data Collection Procedures
The collection of data from participants using differing methods is known as triangulation
(Maxwell, 2004). According to Maxwell (2004), the function of triangulating data is to increase
the credibility of findings by reducing the likelihood of bias due to collecting data through a
single method. A major element to qualitative research involves collecting data from fieldwork
(Patton, 2001). During fieldwork, the researcher spends time at the case site to conduct
observations, analyze documents, and interview people about their opinions, experiences, and
feelings (Patton, 2001). The researcher was fortunate to have limited time and resources to
travel to Education City to triangulate the data through in-person interviews that were
supplemented by an online questionnaire, observations, and document analysis.

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 53
Online Survey. An online questionnaire was utilized to uncover the perspectives and
opinions of American faculty. As Patton (2001) notes, the quality of information obtained
during qualitative inquiry is directly connected to the interviewer. The skills and techniques of
the interviewer (i.e., the researcher) to create questions that elicited detailed responses from
participants were integral to collecting quality data. Surveys were administered after permission
was received from each participant, with each survey lasting between 10 to 20 minutes to
complete. Each survey provided cases in which, as Patton (2001) notes, the researcher “can
learn a great deal about matters of importance and…worthy of in-depth study” (p. 242). The
identity of the participants was protected, as faculty remained anonymous when they were
quoted in the results section of chapter four.
Interviews. The researcher traveled to Education City to interview American faculty
who gave prior consent to participate. Interviews were completed in order to explore survey
responses in greater detail. The researcher used a general interview guide approach, which
outlined a set of topics that were explored with each interviewee. The guide served as a basic
checklist during each interview to ensure that all pertinent topics were covered, and allowed the
researcher freedom to adapt questions and the style of conversation (Patton, 2001). Interviews
were audio taped, with interviews occurring at a pre-established time based on the researcher’s
schedule and participant’s availability.
Observations. The researcher was able to travel to Education City and observe the
organizational culture and dynamic of each branch campus. Through direct observations, the
researcher was “better able to understand and capture the context within which people interact”
(Patton, 2002, p. 262), garnering a greater holistic perspective. Gaining a firsthand experience in
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 54
Education City prevented the researcher from developing misconceptions regarding the context
and setting (Patton, 2001).
Document Analysis. Documents were analyzed to triangulate the opinions and
perspectives of American faculty. These documents included marketing materials, published
data regarding programs and departments, and material found on university websites. After
traveling to Education City, the researcher was able to meet with administrators who provided
documents and otherwise confidential insight into the campuses.
Data Analysis
Data from interviews were transcribed and compiled into case records for easier
comparison (Patton, 2001). The data was then coded to organize information for thematic
analysis (Maxwell, 2005). Thematic analysis, as Patton (2001) notes, requires the researcher to
code data into assemblages of significant categories, patterns, and themes that pertain to the
study’s research questions. During this juncture of the qualitative study (i.e., data analysis) the
researcher relied on his judgment, experience, and acumen to organize codes of data into themes
related to the study’s research questions. Themes were developed prior to data collection using
Matier’s (1988) faculty mobility framework, which illustrated various work-related and non-
work-related benefits that might influence faculty members’ decisions to work in Qatar.
According to Matier’s (1988) model, data from interviews were organized, classified, and edited
into manageable case records. Matier’s (1988) examples of personal and professional
considerations were used to organize and analyze the data. As suggested by Patton (2001), the
researcher considered the potential reactions from the study’s participants as well as its audience
when conclusions were later drawn from data.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 55
The questionnaire used in this study estimated the extent that personal and professional
considerations influenced American faculty to work at Education City. Questions were worded
in a manner that asked each respondent to identify whether certain personal and professional
considerations influenced their decision to work abroad in positive, negative, or neutral or
otherwise unknown manner (Appendix A). The questionnaire did not seek to quantify the
precise extent certain considerations influenced faculty; rather, it aimed to generalize whether
personal and professional benefits were influential to their decisions to work at Education City.
Enhancing the Quality and Credibility of Qualitative Inquiry
Patton (2001) asserts that a case study, which is commonly understood as a qualitative
based form of inquiry, lends itself to issues of quality and credibility. Patton (2001) suggests
three concerns related to judging the credibility of qualitative inquiry: (a) the rigor of the
methods used in fieldwork, (b) the credibility of the researcher, and (c) a philosophical belief in
the value of qualitative research. Given these concerns, the researcher utilized the strategy of
triangulation to enhance the credibility of this qualitative study (Merriam, 1997). The researcher
also had to consider the participants and audience when drawing conclusions from data.
Furthermore, fieldwork, in-person interviews, and a quantitative survey were used to enhance the
quality and credibility of the study.
Researcher bias is another threat to the quality of qualitative research and inductive
reasoning (Maxwell, 2004). Bias refers to the researcher’s predisposition regarding the selection
of data considered substantive or significant. Although eliminating researcher bias is impossible
(Maxwell, 2004), the researcher had to remain cognizant of threats to the quality and credibility
of this case study, and thus implement strategies to lessen its impact. Although researcher bias is
inherent in this qualitative case study since the researcher was the primary instrument collecting
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 56
and analyzing data, the researcher engaged in systematic analysis for patterns, themes, and
opposing explanations to increase the confidence of the study’s findings (Patton, 2001).
Another problematic aspect of a case study is its inability to generalize findings beyond
the context of the study (Yin, 2006). Although a theoretical framework was used to enhance
analysis of data and lend credibility to the study, findings cannot be generalizable outside the
study’s setting. Generalizability from the findings in this study may be enhanced if future
studies replicate the design of the study in alternative settings.
Summary
This case study examined the factors that attracted American faculty to work at branch
campuses in Education City, and explored the extent branch campuses utilized these
considerations to recruit faculty from abroad. Data was triangulated through interviews,
observations and document analysis, and an analytical framework was utilized to recognize
significant categories, patterns, and themes. Efforts were taken to enhance the quality and
credibility of this study, and pseudonyms were used for the participants of the study.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 57
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS

Chapter four provides the findings from the mixed methods case study conducted at six
American branch campuses in Education City, Qatar. The purpose of this study was to first
determine what personal and professional considerations influenced American faculty members
to work at Qatar Education City, and then to examine the extent to which professional and
personal considerations played into faculty members’ decisions to work overseas. Located on
the outskirts of the country’s capital, Doha, Education City is an initiative of the Qatar
Foundation that aims to support the country’s mission to transition from a carbon to knowledge-
based economy. The study utilized a narrative analytic approach to interpret data from
interviews with administration and faculty members at five of the branch campuses, which were
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (GSFS), Northwestern University in
Qatar (NU), Texas A & M University at Qatar (TAMU), Virginia Commonwealth University in
Qatar (VCU), and Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC). The data were triangulated
through surveys and observations from four days spent at Education City, along with analysis of
materials and documents. The compiled data of the study were analyzed to explore the following
overarching research question and two sub-questions:
1. Overarching research question: What factors induced American faculty members to
work at branch campuses at Qatar’s Education City?
A. Sub-question: What were the professional considerations that induced American
faculty to work in Education City, and which had the greatest influence on their decisions?
B. Sub-question: What were the personal considerations that induced American faculty
to work in Education City, and which had the greatest influence on their decisions?
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 58
This chapter presents the findings of the study in four sections. The chapter begins with
an overview of the survey data using descriptive statistics. Next, findings are provided for the
professional considerations that influenced American faculty to work at Education City.
Afterward, findings are given for the personal considerations that influenced American faculty to
work in Qatar. The chapter concludes with a discussion about the considerations that influence
different demographic groups of American faculty.
Overview of Data Collection and Responses
As mentioned in chapter three, the researcher collected data through an online survey
along with interviews, observations, and documents during a visit to Doha, Qatar in January
2013. Prior to the site visit to Qatar, the researcher disseminated 294 online surveys to faculty
from the five participating branch campuses. The survey used a Likert scale to measure the
extent to which personal and professional considerations influenced faculty members’ decisions
to work at Education City (Appendix A). Table 5 displays the number of interviews and survey
responses for each of the five participating branch campuses; the data from the Likert scale
questions are reported in the latter portions of this chapter.
A total of 76 out of 294 faculty members responded to the survey a month after
distribution of the survey, which represents a total response rate of 26%. The sample of the study
was filtered using the criteria described in chapter three, which lead to a total of 39 American
faculty participants. The number of married faculty (n = 31) far exceeded the number of single
faculty (n = 8), and there were slightly more male (n = 23) than female (n = 16) survey
participants in the study.

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 59
Table 5

Number of Faculty Interviews and Survey Responses for Participating Branch Campuses

Interviews
Survey
Responses

Georgetown University School of Foreign
Service in Qatar (GSFS)

1

13 of 39
Northwestern University (NU) 2 8 of 38
Texas A & M University at Qatar (TAMU) 2 28 of 86
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
(VCU)
1 20 of 66
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
(WCMC)
1 7 of 65

Given the relatively high response rate (26%) to the survey, a second request was not
made. As a follow-up, the researcher conducted seven in-person interviews with American
faculty and administrators to gather greater insight and supplement the broad, quantitative data
obtained through the questionnaire. The researcher conducted in-person interviews with two
administrators and five faculty members – one professor from each branch campus – during a 3-
day visit to Qatar in January 2013. The interviews ranged in length between 25 to 75 minutes,
and were guided by the interview protocol discussed in chapter three and listed in Appendix B.
For purposes of this study, perspectives were gathered solely from American faculty who live in
Qatar or administrators who partake in the faculty recruitment process. As such, foreign faculty
members were not chosen for interviews. Casual interactions with foreign faculty did occur
during the site visit; however, the interview protocol presented in chapter three was intended
specifically for faculty from the United States.
As described in chapter three, the analytical framework of the study, the faculty
migration model (Matier, 1988), which will be discussed throughout this chapter, was used to
guide the specific personal and professional considerations examined by the Likert scale portion
of the survey. Five survey questions measured the influence of various considerations using a 5-
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 60
point Likert scale. The Likert scales inquired into the level of influence specific benefits had on
the 39 American faculty members’ decisions to work at Education City, which were anchored by
five choices: 1 = “Very Negative,” 2 = “Slightly Negative,” “3 = Neutral or Unsure,” 4 =
“Slightly Positive,” and 5 = “Very Positive.” The questions were worded in a manner that asked
each respondent to identify whether certain personal and professional considerations influenced
their decision to work abroad in positive, negative, or neutral or otherwise unknown manner
(Appendix A). Descriptive statistics were computed for each consideration after data collection,
and data was disaggregated for several demographic categories, which will be discussed in the
next section of this chapter.
American faculty likely deliberate between numerous considerations before they decide
to work abroad; therefore, Matier’s (1988) faculty migration model was utilized as a guide for
analysis due its simplicity and easily understood categories of considerations. The model
explains that both current and prospective employers can utilize different incentives, referred to
as personal and professional considerations, will either attract or deter employees. According to
the framework, considerations that attract faculty abroad are known as factors that “pull” faculty
to a new employment opportunity, whereas “push” factors are ones that deter employees from
remaining at their previous positions. Moreover, professional considerations are defined as any
tangible or intangible benefits related to one’s career that American faculty consider before
working overseas; personal considerations are any non-work related benefits that play a factor in
faculty members’ decision to work abroad. Although arguments can be made that certain
considerations can be placed in different categories to some extent, the faculty migration model
was considered to be the most salient in answering the research questions of the study.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 61
Table 6 displays the number of faculty who answered they were either slightly influenced
or very influenced by the personal and professional considerations examined in the survey,
illustrating the factors that had a pull effect on American faculty. Overall, the table reveals
faculty expatriates were influenced by multiple personal and professional factors to work abroad.
Salary received the most “very positive” responses, and the most amount of combined “slightly
positive” and “very positive” responses. The personal consideration that received the most
positive responses was the desire for change or adventure, followed closely by housing
accommodations and increased standard of living. Appendix D provides a frequency table of
faculty members’ survey responses.
Table 6

Number of Survey Responses for Considerations that Positively Influenced American Faculty to
Work at Education City
Considerations Slightly Positive Very Positive
Salary 9 25
Teaching Opportunities in Qatar 10 18
Gain Professional Experience Abroad 13 14
Career Goals and Trajectory 14 12
Research Opportunities 10 13
Lack of Jobs in the United States 5 9
Desire for Change and/or Adventure 8 21
Increase Standard of Living 16 11
Housing Accommodations 20 8
Cultural Differences 10 14
Perceptions of Qatar 14 4
Schools for Children 7 5
(N =39)

Data from this study was interpreted through the faculty mobility model (Matier, 1988),
since recruiting faculty to work at Education City entails a combination of circumstances and
benefits that either push or pull faculty toward or away new employment opportunities.
However, in order to recruit American faculty to Qatar, the university partners at Education City
likely need to understand the various motives of faculty and offer incentives that are specifically
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 62
tailored to their needs and expectations. As one faculty member aptly said, “everyone has
different motivations for coming [to Qatar] depending on their background and what they do.”
The challenge that branch campuses in Qatar experience in recruiting American faculty, as one
administrator noted, is managing faculty members’ expectations. Prior to the study, it was
unclear what faculty members’ expectations were prior to working in Qatar, which led to the
central research question of the study: What factors induced American faculty members to work
at branch campuses at Qatar’s Education City? In order to answer this question, the following
sections of this chapter discuss the findings from survey and interview analysis.
Considerations for Demographic Groups
The previous section provided an overview of the professional and personal
considerations that influenced American faculty to work at branch campuses in Education City.
It provided a general summation for the study population but did not distinguish between the
various differences found amongst different demographic groups of American faculty. A key
piece of the faculty migration model (Matier, 1988) is the likelihood that faculty members will
relocate depends on their desire to move and their ease in movement, which stems from
demographic considerations such as age, gender, marital status, and work experience. In order to
fully describe the factors that induced American faculty members to work in Qatar, data must
account for these variances amongst faculty. As such, the following paragraphs will discuss
survey responses of faculty demographics. Certain responses from the survey will be related to
the qualitative findings, when appropriate. A more comprehensive explanation of the findings
will be discussed in subsequent sections of this chapter, which will be supported by data from
observations, document analysis, and interviews.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 63
Gender
Survey data revealed 75% of female faculty and 57% of male faculty answered salary had
a very positive influence on their decisions to work at Education City. As discussed later in this
chapter, data revealed nearly two-thirds of respondents said salary had a very strong influence on
faculty coming to Education City. This sentiment was further conveyed when one American
professor said, “I think money alone can get a good amount of people here.” Additionally, one
faculty member conveyed that salary could be a strong enough pull factor for expatriates to
disregard considerations that might be viewed as a deterrent. “I think salary is the initial draw
for most [faculty]. I know a number of people who have left Education City and went back to
the United States because they weren’t happy with the social and cultural scene…but they came
back because of the money,” the faculty member said. After salary, the consideration that
received the second most number of “very positive” responses from male (44%) and female
(63%) faculty was the desire for change or adventure. Findings revealed both female and male
faculty generally had a strong desire for adventure and travel before they began work at
Education City. This topic will be discussed at greater length in a latter section of this chapter.
Age
Survey data found general similarities and differences between responses from younger
(under 50 years of age) and older (over 50 years of age) faculty working at Education City.
Salary was the professional consideration that very positively influenced the most number of
younger (10 of 16) and older (15 of 23) faculty. One faculty interviewee offered a reason for
why salary is a strong influence for older faculty. “I know a lot of retired U.S. faculty who come
for a short while for a big cash influx every so often,” the professor said. “These are people who
already established themselves and have their [retirement] benefits.” In terms of younger
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 64
faculty, it seems reasonable that faculty at a younger age might immediately seek higher salaries
since they have yet to establish themselves and may be experiencing financial burden from
student loans. The only other consideration that received very positive responses from at least
half of surveyed faculty who are younger than 50 years of age (n = 9) and faculty who are 50
years of age or older (n = 12) was the desire for change or adventure. This finding suggests
faculty, regardless of age, work at Education City due to a desire to gain new experiences
abroad. These faculty members may also be in the midst of a transition in their personal or
professional lives, presenting an optimal time for them to relocate overseas.
Marital Status
Survey and interview data discovered unique sets of considerations for the 31 married
and 8 single American faculty members working at Education City. When asked to rate the
extent to which professional considerations influenced their decision to work in Qatar, single
faculty members noted salary, teaching opportunities, professional opportunities abroad, and
career goals to be highly influential. Nearly two-thirds (n = 5) of single respondents noted the
desire for change to be the most influential personal consideration, while half (n = 4) responded
that career goals was the most influential professional consideration. Seven of the eight single
respondents felt professional considerations had an overall greater influence on their decisions to
work at Qatar than personal considerations.
It was apparent from interviews that elements of the Qatari culture present unique
challenges for single American faculty. As a predominantly Muslim country, Qatar restricts
certain behaviors that tend to occur in the United States. For example, alcohol in Qatar is a
strictly regulated concession, so only a few five-star hotels are permitted to sell alcoholic drinks
and the prices are expensive. One faculty member shared that a black market exists to purchase
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 65
alcohol, but this prompts questions of the relative risks versus rewards for such choices. When
asked to explain which demographic of faculty face the most challenges when living in Qatar,
one professor explained single faculty tend to be the unhappiest. The social scene in Qatar, the
professor explained, can be challenging for some faculty due to the country’s restrictions against
dating. For example, a public display of affection, such as holding hands, is frowned upon, and
there are signs posted in public places that remind people of such restrictions. “I know many
single people here and I know they date and meet people but it’s a challenge in such a different
environment,” said one interviewee. “Even for my spouse and I it’s a challenge.”
Salary (n = 26), teaching opportunities (n = 22), professional opportunities abroad (n =
21), and career goals (n = 18) were the considerations that at least half of married respondents
found positively influential in their decisions to work in Qatar. Nearly half (15 of 31) of married
survey respondents said the desire for change or adventure was the personal consideration that
had the highest influence on their decisions to work abroad. In contrast, it was unclear from
survey data which professional consideration had the highest influence on faculty respondents –
salary, increased standard of living, and teaching opportunities each received equal votes.
Overall, married survey respondents were approximately split regarding the type of consideration
that had the most influence on their decisions to work at Education City – 18 married faculty
reported professional factors had the greatest influence, whereas 13 married faculty felt personal
considerations had the highest influence on their decisions. This result seems sensible since
married expatriates, especially those with children, likely need to consider numerous factors
before they decide to work overseas.
A theme evident from interview data was married faculty with children faced
considerable challenges when living in Qatar. According to all faculty interviewees, despite the
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 66
branch campuses offering benefits that accommodate faculty with children, such as offering free
daycare and school expenses from ages three and up, the substantial growth that Qatar has
experienced in recent years has created challenges for faculty in search of a suitable school for
their children. “Finding schools for children is becoming a challenge for recruitment because
there are too many people, not enough spaces, and not enough spaces in the good schools,” said
one faculty member. When asked to describe the experience of trying to find a quality school,
one professor described Qatar’s school system as overcrowded, and faculty have been unable to
find placement for their children in the esteemed American private schools. All seven
interviewees stated there were severe challenges with Qatar’s primary and secondary school
systems, and noted the American School of Doha (ASD) was the first choice of school for their
children. When asked why ASD was their first choice, faculty pointed to the lack of quality
public schools in Doha. “I hear couples raving about ASD,” said one interviewee. “They
compare it to a private school or a really good public school in the United States.”
Given the challenge of finding a school for their children, it seems reasonable it would be
a strong consideration for married couple thinking of going to Qatar. Surprisingly, none of the
31 married expatriates marked school placement as the most influential consideration. This may
indicate either faculty members were unaware about the condition of Qatar’s school system prior
to coming to Education City, or many survey participants do not have children, which was
unclear since surveyed faculty were not asked if they had children. Regardless, for married
faculty who do have children, finding a quality school is a growing issue that faculty will need to
consider prior to moving to Qatar, which was evident when one faculty member said, “We know
a couple who were on the fence about going to Qatar because there were issues of getting their
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 67
children into schools. This is an issue that can be problematic, but it’s not impossible. It
definitely requires planning and persistence.”
Work Experience
Interview data revealed faculty generally view Education City to be an ideal place for
faculty who are in the early (less than ten years of experience) or latter portion (ten or more years
of experience) of their careers. One faculty interviewee said, “Qatar is a fantastic place for the
beginning or end of your career; there aren’t many here who are in between.” When asked to
explain why they believed Qatar appeals to faculty who are early in their careers, all interviewees
described the difficult job market in the United States as a push factor that prompts less
experienced faculty to search for alternative job opportunities, such as working at international
branch campuses. This sentiment was supported by more than a third (n =5) of the 14 survey
participants with fewer than ten years of experience who responded that the difficult job market
in the United States was very influential on their decision to work overseas. As one American
faculty member explained, “job opportunities in the U.S. were unavailable to me because of my
faculty rank, so I had to open my horizons a little more.”
Given the challenging academic job market in the United States, three interviewees
explained they were hopeful that teaching or conducting research in Qatar would bolster their
resumes and improve their chance for jobs in the United States. One American professor
explained, “people normally do not think of applying to a job in Qatar…but I think it’s a job
market that you have to look at the possibilities in front of you rather than the seeking the job
you want.” Although the number of expatriates at Education City who are tenure-track was not
measured in this study, the researcher found that all five faculty interviewees were non-tenure
track and early in their careers, which expounds on their perspective that the difficult job market
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 68
in the United States is a factor that can push faculty to work overseas. Additionally, survey data
found half (n = 7) of faculty respondents with less experience marked the desire for change or
adventure as the single most influential personal consideration, which may be a reflection of
their desire to travel before entering into a marriage or a long-term relationship.
In contrast to faculty with less experience, nearly a quarter (n = 6) of the twenty-five
survey respondents who were in the latter portion (ten or more years of experience) of their
careers noted salary as the most influential professional consideration. “I know a lot of nearly
retired U.S. faculty who come for a short while, leave, then come back,” explained one faculty
interviewee. “These faculty are usually individuals who don’t want to stay a long time here and
like a big cash influx every so often; these are people who have already established themselves
who want extra cash.” Similar to faculty with less experience, over half (n = 13) of respondents
with more experience said the desire for change or adventure was the most influential personal
consideration on their decisions to work abroad.
Professional Considerations
Having discussed survey responses for different demographics of American faculty, the
following section will discuss the professional considerations that were found to have a positive
influence on expatriates’ decisions to work at Education City. A theme to emerge from the data
was approximately two-thirds of surveyed faculty (n = 25) noted professional considerations had
a greater influence on their decision to work abroad than personal considerations. The
opportunity to teach or conduct research in Qatar, salary, and career goals were the professional
considerations found to have most influence on faculty participants. The following paragraphs
will discuss findings from each of these considerations.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 69
Salary
Survey data revealed 85% of American faculty answered they were either somewhat or
very enticed by salary to work at Education City. Analysis of interviews found faculty salaries,
which do not include other portions of the financial package offered by branch campuses, were
much higher in Qatar than the United States. For example, one professor shared that his salary in
Qatar was enough to comfortably support him and his non-working spouse, and shared that
housing, healthcare, and utilities are provided for free to Qatar’s residents. When accounting for
the assortment of financial benefits faculty members receive, which will be described in greater
detail later in this chapter, it appears faculty can earn – and potentially save – a substantial
amount of money while working and living in Qatar.
One administrator described the potential earnings at Education City as so large that
American professors make nearly twice the amount of typically salaries earned in the United
States, with large portions of it being tax free. As such, it was no surprise that faculty
interviewees reported that a number expatriates are willing to disregard factors that might be
viewed as a deterrent, such as cultural differences, for the sake of monetary gain. “I know a
number of people who have left Education City…because they were not happy with the social
and cultural scene in Qatar,” said one faculty member, “but they came back because of the
money.” Another professor agreed with this sentiment by sharing a story of a couple who
worked at Education City for a year but never went out or socialized, seeking to work their
contracts solely to earn large salaries to pay off their student loans.
As strong of an influence financial packages might have on faculty members’ decisions
to work abroad, the faculty migration model (Matier, 1988) asserts that tangible benefits, such as
salary, are less likely to convince faculty to stay at their current positions. Instead, interview
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 70
data found cultural differences, which will be described in greater detail later in this chapter,
played an important role in faculty retention at Education City. Overall, interviews with
American professors revealed that while offering faculty high salaries and other financial
incentives may currently be an effective method to attract faculty to Education City, salary was
not the sole determinant why American faculty decided to work abroad, nor was it enough
incentive to retain some faculty beyond their initial contracts. “People might come for money
for the initial contract term, for a couple years or so, but they won’t stay if that’s the only
reason,” a professor explained.
The faculty migration framework proposed by Matier (1988) explains that both current
and prospective employers can utilize personal and professional incentives that will either attract
or deter employees. Despite addressing the financial needs of American faculty through salaries
and other fringe benefits, the international branch campuses that form Education City could
better highlight the non-career benefits that faculty will gain when working in Qatar, which may
lead to greater probability for faculty retention.
Career Goals
Two-thirds (n = 26) of American faculty surveyed in this study said their career goals and
trajectory positively influenced their decisions to work at Education City. Interviews found
American faculty hope that working at an international branch campus would provide
professional experiences that would bolster their resumes. “I think I would gain a very valuable
experience that would probably make me competitive back in the U.S., at least that is my hope,”
said one interviewee. Over two-thirds (n = 27) of survey participants agreed with this sentiment,
saying the opportunity to gain professional experiences had a positive impact on their decisions
to work abroad.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 71
When the topic of gaining professional experiences was examined further, many
American professors were unsure whether their work experiences in Qatar would improve their
chances for a tenure-track position in the United States. “That’s a big consideration for faculty –
whether to be faculty here or seek tenure track in the U.S.,” said one professor, implying that
working in Qatar may not benefit faculty who have aspirations for tenure. In contrast, another
faculty interviewee viewed the opportunities to teach and conduct research overseas as a viable
way to improve his prospects for tenure in the United States.
Although a tenure-track position may not be a career goal for all American expatriates,
interviews revealed American faculty had a general desire for job security while working at
Education City. Branch campuses offered each of the interviewed faculty members varying
initial contract terms, ranging from a one year to three-year commitment overseas, which led to
three of them feeling uneasy about their futures. Additionally, the highly subjective, informal
rehiring process added to American professors’ feelings of apprehension and uncertainty. “It’s
unclear what the evaluation criteria is,” said one faculty member. “It makes faculty here feel
dispensable.” Overall, analysis revealed it was unclear whether the goal of Education City and
its university partners is simply to recruit faculty to campuses, or to recruit and retain them for an
extended period of time. “There have been waves where they [branch campuses] didn’t renew
people…it’s disheartening when you know over ten people not being renewed at a time,” shared
one professor. Establishing longer initial contract terms across all the branch campuses, while
offering a clear, transparent rehiring protocol are ways Education City and its university partners
could provide a greater sense of stability to Western faculty. These changes would help to
portray a clear message that branch campuses at Education City value not only the recruitment of
American faculty, but the retention of them as well.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 72
Teaching and Research Opportunities
A finding that emerged from survey data was 72% of American faculty said the
opportunity to teach positively influenced their decision to work at Education, versus 59% of
participants who said the opportunity to conduct research in Qatar positively influenced their
decision. This result is noteworthy since both administrators who were interviewed shared their
desire to recruit faculty who would conduct research, increase grant money, and increase the
overall prestige of Education City. This suggests that although administrators desire faculty
members who conduct research, more professors are instead coming to Qatar to teach.
Document analysis revealed censorship to be one reason why American faculty might
come to Qatar to teach instead of research. Several Qatari students who were interviewed by
Qatar’s student community magazine, Campus, suggested that Qatar should become more
tolerant to people of different backgrounds and opinions and allow students and teachers to speak
their minds, both inside and outside the classroom (November, 2012). This regulated
environment does not lend itself well to American professors, who are accustomed to the belief
that freedom of inquiry is essential to the mission of academe, and academics should have the
right to communicate ideas without being targeted for oppression or job loss. According to
several faculty interviewees, the regulated environment in Qatar has led many American faculty
members who were hopeful to conduct research to feel increasingly disappointed and frustrated.
One professor said he was hesitant to conduct research in case of the event there were findings
that might jeopardize their jobs at Education City, while another professor added, “[Qatar] is
very concerned about its reputation and image,” which implies that publications and research
findings made by American professoriates will be highly scrutinized and regulated by the Qatar
Foundation or Qatari government.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 73
Thus, it seems apropos that the majority of interviewees said American faculty members
generally underutilize the numerous resources offered by the Qatar Foundation to conduct
research. Three interviewees pointed to the lack of job security, stemming from short contract
terms and an unclear rehiring process, as an additional reason why faculty feel apprehensive to
conduct research in Qatar. “We are encouraged to do research but it’s a disincentive when it
feels as though we’re not appreciated,” one professor shared. From a practical standpoint, the
time to conduct research and publish findings is often a multiple year endeavor, which could be a
major disincentive for American faculty on short contract durations.
To summarize the findings discussed thus far, more survey participants noted
professional considerations had a greater positive influence for working abroad than personal
considerations, and a majority of faculty noted salary had a positive influence among all
professional considerations examined in this study. Salary was not the only factor considered in
faculty members’ decisions, but it was found to have a strong enough influence to overcome
possible disincentives. The idea of teaching in Qatar appealed to American faculty more than
conducting research, likely due to censorship and lack of academic freedom. Interviewees were
hopeful that their experiences in Qatar would translate into greater opportunities in the United
States, and they desired stability and job security.
Personal Considerations
As discussed in the faculty migration model (Matier, 1988), only American faculty
members with a positive perception of the professional and personal benefits offered by
Education City and its university partners would be expected to work in Qatar. Having already
discussed the professional benefits that positively influenced faculty to work at Education City,
the following section will present the personal considerations that were found to positively
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 74
influence faculty members’ decisions to work overseas. Although this study found a majority of
survey participants (n = 25) viewed professional considerations had a greater overall influence
on their decisions to work in Qatar than personal considerations, data analysis found personal
benefits play a pivotal role in the satisfaction and retention of American expatriates.
Desire for Change or Adventure

Nearly seventy-five percent (n = 29) of the American faculty surveyed in the study said
the desire for change or adventure positively influenced their decision to work at Education City.
As all seven interviewees explained, American expatriates’ desire for change is rooted in a
craving to live abroad at some point in their lives. “We had an exotic desire to live somewhere
abroad, so I told my wife I was going to apply for a job in Qatar,” shared one faculty member.
Another professor illustrated the desire for change or adventure when he said, “we originally
thought we’d go to Central or South America. The Middle East was never in a million years on
our list of places, but we’re adventurous so we said ‘what the heck,’ and decided to move here
[to Qatar].” Using Matier’s (1988) faculty migration framework, it was evident that the desire to
travel and gain experiences abroad appealed to American faculty who were experiencing a
transition in life or felt the time and circumstances were optimal to relocate to Qatar. One
American professor explained that faculty who are open-minded to the differences between
American and Qatari cultures or had connections to the region are more likely to work at
Education City.
Open Minded. A characteristic that accompanied faculty members’ desire for change
was their openness and acceptance of differences between American and Qatari cultures.
American faculty inherently know that Qatar’s sociocultural milieu will be unlike that of any
Western country, so it was no surprise interviewees felt that faculty who were unhappy living in
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 75
Qatar were those with rigid expectations. “People don’t appreciate that the Middle East is
diverse and different, especially Americans who tend to be liberal with things,” said one faculty
member. Another professor concurred with this sentiment and said, “I’ve learned it’s much
better to come to a place like Doha without expectations because I know a number of people that
have the case of the ‘should haves’ – this should work that way, that should work this way.” An
example of a “should have” revolved around the topic of doing research in Qatar. Two
interviewees felt the home campus in the United States should be more involved aiding
American expatriates in some way, such as counting expatriates’ work experiences toward tenure
or offering monetary incentives for research publications completed during their time at
Education City. In any case, interviews found American faculty who were unwilling to adapt to
their new settings to be more likely to be unhappy with living in Qatar, which the faculty
migration model (Matier, 1988) rationalizes would result in them not renewing their contracts.
“Those [faculty members] with a preconceived notion of what the experience in Qatar should be
are invariably those who are not happy and tend not to be people who renew their contracts,”
said one professor.
Connections to the Region. Overall, interviews revealed that faculty with personal
connections to the Middle East were more open to work and stay in Qatar than those without
experiences or knowledge of the region. Faculty who have been exposed to the Middle East in a
direct or indirect way, such as faculty who worked previously travelled to the Middle East or
have a spouse who worked in the region, had positive perceptions of living and working in Qatar.
“For those with Middle Eastern roots or have family here – it’s not a hard sell to come here,”
shared one professor. “My spouse worked in the Middle East for many years and had exposure
to the region,” added another faculty member, “we didn’t know much about Qatar, but my
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 76
spouse having experienced the Middle East definitely helped our decision.” Additionally, as two
other professors noted, Western faculty may want to work in Qatar either to be closer to relatives
who live within the region or have opportunities to travel to unique destinations.
Cultural Differences
Survey data found cultural differences to have the most contrasting responses among the
personal considerations examined in the study. Over sixty percent (n = 24) of American
expatriates working at Education City said cultural differences in Qatar had a positive influence
on their decision to work at Education while approximately one-eighth (n = 5) of faculty said it
had a slightly negative influence on their decision. However, three faculty interviews noted the
differences between American and Qatari cultures to play a major influence in deterring faculty
from working in Qatar. “People are not inclined to come [to Qatar] because of cultural
differences,” said one faculty member. “It’s just very different here,” explained another
professor, “we just can’t be sitting here having a beer.” Given these contrasting opinions
regarding cultural differences, branch campuses at Education City could aid in recruitment by
providing cross-cultural information to prospective faculty. A recent study by Jauregui (2013)
conducted at Education City found both formal and informal modes of cross-cultural training
provided by American branch campuses, particularly informal cross-cultural training in the form
of conversations and interactions with colleagues, played a key role in the cultural competence
and professional effectiveness of Western faculty.
An example of a formal cross-cultural resource that American professors receive is the
Marhaba, a 450-page information guide that is distributed to all prospective faculty members. A
copy of the guidebook was given to the researcher during an interview with a branch campus
administrator. Although the administrator touted the Marhaba as a useful cultural resource for
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 77
incoming faculty at Education City, analysis found the guidebook to provide a basic, surface-
level introduction to the local and regional cultures. Thus, it was no surprise that faculty
interviewees did not reference the Marhaba as a resource that greatly increased their cultural
competence. Overall, the Marhaba fell short of the researcher’s expectation that it would be a
comprehensive guide for people who lack prior knowledge of Qatar. At first glance, the
Marhaba appears extensive and informative; the sheer size of the guide left the researcher with
the impression it would offer extensive information about Qatar. However, the information
appears catered more for tourists – advertisements are littered throughout the guide, while tips on
cultural awareness appear less frequent – than it does for faculty who are discerning whether or
not to move to Qatar.
Exemplifying the lack of cross-cultural competence of incoming American faculty, two
faculty interviewees shared they were surprised to learn about several nuances of the Qatari
culture when they first arrived to Education City. One faculty member was shocked to learn
about the stratification between the country’s three major classes: Qataris at the top, Western
expatriates in the middle, and others expatriates at the bottom. Another faculty interviewee was
surprised at how the city of Doha felt very Western with its downtown skyline and opulent
shopping malls. Based on observations made during the researcher’s visit to Doha, the city was
indeed in the midst of transforming from a third-world to first-world appearance, which may or
may not appeal to some faculty from the United States.
To that end, there are various aspects of the local and regional culture that American
faculty must discern before deciding to work at Education City. For example, Qatar applies a
zero-tolerance attitude to the possession and use of drugs, and stiff penalties await those who
consume alcohol on unlicensed premises. Additionally, public displays of affection between
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 78
men and women are discouraged, which the researcher observed during a meal at a restaurant in
downtown Doha: Qatari men sat together at different tables from Qatari women, and only a
married couple was sitting together. With these examples in mind, it is reasonable that all five
faculty interviewees felt negatively influenced by differences between American and Qatari
cultures. A faculty interviewee shared his perspective on the topic: “People I talk to cannot
picture living in a place like this. The culture is so different, which I think is the bigger
overarching challenge [to recruit faculty].”
Part of the challenge with understanding the numerous nuances of the Qatari culture,
according to one professor, is it can only happen by experiencing it first-hand. “You can tell
someone how it’s going to be here in Qatar, but it’s something they have to experience,” the
professor said. Interview analysis revealed that faculty generally desired more information that,
as one faculty member described, “isn’t about the pay, not about the facilities, but about the little
everyday life things that aren’t written in the contract,” pointing to the need for informal types of
cross-cultural training, such as conversations and interactions with colleagues, as suggested by
Jauregui (2013). However, as noted by Jauregui (2013), American faculty are provided with
cross-cultural training that “consists primarily of surface-level information on Middle Eastern,
Arab, or Muslim cultures” (p. 78), which typically only describe tips on appropriate behaviors
related with living and working in Qatar.
As suggested in the faculty migration framework (Matier, 1988), disclosing information
to prospective employees that might only be learned on the job could lessen any feelings of
apprehension, and in turn, increase the number of faculty who accept their appointments.
Analysis of interviews found two aspects of Qatari culture that faculty learned in greater detail
only after arriving in Qatar – safety and traffic – that would have greatly influenced their initial
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 79
decisions to work at Education City. All seven interviewees were surprised to discover that
Qatar is a very safe country, with traffic conditions that were worse than expected. These topics
will be discussed in greater detail in the following paragraphs.
Safety. Surveys revealed nearly half (n = 18) of survey respondents had positive
perceptions of Qatar before coming to Education City while an eighth (n = 5) of faculty
participants had negative perceptions. Interview data revealed that negative perceptions of Qatar
stemmed from people having misperceptions of the safety in the region. For example, an
interviewee shared that the ongoing civil unrest in countries throughout the Middle East seems to
contribute to initial perceptions of Qatar. “Qatar is definitely lumped as one of the unstable
countries in the Middle East,” a professor said. “They’re all lumped together, and I think it’s
always going to be an issue for [prospective] faculty.” Contrary to this perception, this study
found Qatar to be a politically stable country that an administrator described as the “oasis of
peace in the firestorm of the Middle East.” Notably, all faculty and administrator interviewees
described Qatar as one of the safest places in the world. “In terms of crime I would say it’s
probably the safest place in the world,” said a faculty member. An administrator echoed this
sentiment by saying, “Qatar is probably the safest place I’ve ever lived or worked in my life. I
have no concerns about my safety. Everyone is so polite; there’s no violence.”
To put Qatar’s economic and political stability in perspective, as of 2007 revenues from
oil and natural gas enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world (Central
Intelligence Agency, 2013). According to the Central Intelligence Agency (2013), Qatar’s
proven oil reserves should enable continued output at current levels for over 50 years, while
proven reserves of natural gas is the third largest in the world. Given these levels of natural
resources, the United States negotiated a bilateral defense and security arrangement with Qatar,
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 80
allowing for a large U.S. military presence inside Qatari borders (Embassy of the State of Qatar,
2013). Interviews with faculty found the presence of American military to be reassuring since it
provides the country with a reputed source of national defense and security.
Given this information, findings from this study do not clarify the affect, if any, that
misperceptions have on whether or not faculty accept appointments to Education City. In
general, data from interviews with American faculty concur with Jauregui’s (2013) assertion that
American faculty at Education City would gain deeper cultural competences and yield greater
professional effectiveness if more cross-cultural training were provided by the branch campuses.
Formal types of cross-cultural resources given to incoming faculty, such as the Marhaba, should
make a greater attempt at illustrating the nuances of the Qatari culture, such as elucidating the
reasons why Qatar is an economically and politically stable country. For example, although the
Marhaba (2012) does mention Qatar to be “one of the safest places in the world,” (p. 45) no
further emphasis is placed on explaining what makes Qatar an exceptionally safe country.
Additionally, as Jauregui (2013) notes, American faculty can gain practical classroom skills,
adaptability, and personal awareness from receiving different forms of cross-cultural training.
Driving. Although interview data points to Qatar being one of safest countries in the
world in terms of crime and political stability, further analysis found driving in Qatar to be the
aspect of safety that concerned both administrators and faculty alike, with all seven interviewees
noting traffic in Qatar to be dangerous. Given that many portions of Doha are under construction
and spread apart, the researcher noticed that transportation was an integral part of living in the
city; therefore, trips to shopping centers, restaurants, grocery stores, and other destinations can
sometimes require a lengthy commute. As the Marhaba (2012) notes, no matter how long
someone plans to stay in Qatar, transportation arrangements are going to be at the top of their list
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 81
of priorities. Consequently, the researcher was surprised to find that the Marhaba dedicates less
than half a page to explain the hazards of driving on Qatar’s roads. The following quote is a
majority of the description provided by the Marhaba (2012):
Road rage is a global problem and on the increase in Qatar. Motorists are warned to be
aware of drivers ‘tailgating’ and flashing their lights to force the driver ahead to move out
of the way, even if there is no space to safely move into. Other bullying tactics include
overtaking from the right and then slowing down as ‘punishment’ to the driver who failed
to move out of the way. Be on the lookout for drivers who use straight ahead lanes for
turning left and right, and drivers turning into roads on the wrong side. (p. 409)
Interestingly, the quote begins by stating road rage to be a global problem, as if to imply
road rage is a pandemic that Qatar has only recently experienced. This seems to be an attempt to
attenuate the severity of how some motorists drive in Qatar. Although the researcher agrees with
the recommendations noted in the above quote from the Marhaba, details were noticeably
missing concerning the chaotic traffic circles found throughout Doha. Large, four-way traffic
circles can bring a sizeable cluster of cars together at any given time, which would normally not
be problem if drivers were to properly yield to one another. Unfortunately, as one administrator
explained, the unwritten rule while driving in a traffic circle is the car with its bumper ahead of
another car has the right of way, regardless of the lane. These circumstances can create an
intimidating situation for drivers attempting to merge in or out of the circle.
According to one faculty interviewee, it might take an expatriate several weeks to get
accustomed to simply ride in a car under the chaotic circumstances on Qatar’s roads. If faculty
members wish to take matters into their own hands and drive themselves, the interviewee
continued, it could take over a month to acquire your Qatari driver's license. For some American
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 82
faculty members, the proposition of driving in Qatar may overwhelm them. One faculty member
shared a story of an American couple that lived in Doha for a year and refused to leave the
confines of Education City due to the traffic and aggressive drivers in Qatar. “The stress of the
daily commute was too much for them,” the interviewee shared, “they couldn’t take not knowing
what was coming at them at any given moment.” Another professor shared in the sentiment,
saying groceries and shopping can require extra time because of the mix of traffic and
construction happening throughout the city. “After the first couple of years you find yourself
driving and going out less and less,” said the professor.
These findings point to American faculty being generally stunned by their experiences
with traffic in Qatar. Resources such as the Marhaba should provide a clear description of the
circumstances on the roads in Qatar. It is unclear whether providing more information about
traffic in Qatar would ultimately deter prospective faculty from working at Education City;
nevertheless, it was clear from interview participants that traffic conditions in Doha has played a
large part in why some faculty refuse to stay in Qatar for an extended period of time.
Higher Standard of Living. Nearly seventy percent (n = 27) of survey participants said
the standard of living in Qatar had a positive influence on their decisions to work at Education
City. American faculty members enjoy numerous perks offered by Education City and its branch
campuses. When faculty members were asked about the amenities provided to them, some
mentioned that Qatar supplies free utilities (i.e., cable, internet, gas and electricity) to all its
residents. According to interviewees, Qatar also offers expatriates free public health care and
schooling for children, free housing within proximity to Education City, and income tax breaks
in the United States depending on how long they stay overseas – one administrator reported that
the first 90,000 United States dollars earned by American expatriates is tax free. These perks,
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 83
alongside higher salary levels, offered American faculty an opportunity for enhanced earnings
and, for some, to afford a lifestyle that might be otherwise unavailable to them in the United
States. To put the enhanced earnings in perspective, an interview with an American professor
revealed the only out of pocket expenses expatriates incur while in Qatar are meals and
transportation. “Food and gas are essentially the only expenses here in Qatar,” explained the
faculty member. “It’s expensive to eat out and get food from the States, but gas is incredibly
cheap – it’s far less than one U.S. dollar [per gallon].”
This section summarized the findings pertaining to the personal considerations that
influenced American faculty members’ decisions to work at Education City. Using Matier’s
(1988) faculty migration framework as a guide for analysis, it is evident that the desire to travel
and gain experiences in a foreign country appealed to professors who were experiencing a
transition in life or felt the timing and circumstances were optimal for them to relocate to Qatar.
In contrast, some faculty expatriates were negatively influenced by their perceptions of the
country, which likely derived from misperceptions about the region. Many faculty members
were drawn to the financial benefits experienced in Qatar, which offered them an enhanced
earnings opportunity and, for some, a higher standard of living.
Summary
Participant observations, document analysis, surveys, and interviews with American
faculty and administrators at branch campuses in Education City provided a depth of data from
which to analyze and draw conclusions based on the overarching research question and two sub-
questions. American faculty chose whether or not to work at Education City after considering
the appeal of the many personal and professional benefits associated to living in Qatar.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 84
Findings reveal professional considerations had an overall greater influence on the
decisions of faculty than personal considerations. The majority of American faculty members
were positively influenced by salary or the desire for change or adventure. In general, this study
found working at Education City was good for faculty members seeking monetary gain. The
majority of American faculty members were initially drawn to the higher salaries and other
financial advantages enjoyed in Qatar, which led to increased earnings and, for some, a higher
standard of living.
Participants generally described Education City as an ideal place for faculty who are
married without children and in the early or latter portions of their careers. Salary was
considered by older faculty members to have the highest influence on their decision to work
overseas whereas the job market in the United States and career goals had the highest influence
on younger faculty. American faculty with less experience worked in Qatar to gain teaching or
research experience to strengthen their resumes, and for some, to improve their chances of a
tenure-track position in the United States.
Although male and female faculty members were both positively influenced by salary,
female respondents were most influenced by their career goals and trajectory, followed by salary.
In contrast, it was unclear which professional consideration had the most influence on male
faculty. Married and single American faculty members were the groups presented with the most
challenges while living in Qatar. For many single faculty members, the country’s restrictions on
dating and the Doha’s minimal nightlife may discourage them from extending their stay in Qatar.
For American faculty with children, the lack of space at quality schools has become a significant
concern that will need to be addressed by Education City and its university partners.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 85
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION

The previous chapters provided an account of research on the factors that influence
American faculty to work at international branch campuses in a Middle Eastern country,
specifically through a case study of five American branch campuses in Qatar’s Education City:
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (GSFS), Northwestern University in
Qatar (NU), Texas A & M University at Qatar (TAMU), Virginia Commonwealth University in
Qatar (VCU), and Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC). Accounting for almost half
of the 200 branch campuses in existence, American institutions have established the greatest
number of branch campuses worldwide (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). Proponents of the
internationalization of higher education have noted that faculty recruitment is an integral part of
sustaining overseas campuses. To date, studies have yet to examine the factors that influence
faculty recruitment overseas, so it has been unclear which incentives influence faculty to work
abroad. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine the reasons American faculty decided
to work in a country in the Middle East.
Summary of Study
Chapter one indicated the background of the problem: there has been an absence of
research that indicates the factors affecting faculty members’ decisions to work abroad, which
would help international branch campuses determine ways to effectively recruit American
faculty. Branch campuses that refrain from hiring faculty with qualifications similar to those
found at the home campus risk being perceived as lower in quality, which, in turn, would likely
damage the reputation and brand of the home campus. By obtaining long-term commitments
from domestic faculty to work overseas, branch campuses can better replicate the expertise found
at institutions in the United States and address the scarcity of faculty who are willing to work
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 86
extended periods abroad (Edelstein & Douglass, 2012). The intent of this study was to
determine the specific benefits that influenced American faculty to work at Education City, and
examine the extent that these benefits guided their decisions to work overseas.
The literature review in the second chapter examined past studies on faculty recruitment,
satisfaction, and mobility in order to provide a foundation for understanding the challenges
associated with recruiting faculty to international branch campuses. Past studies have generally
described faculty recruitment as the result of push versus pull effects between competing
employment opportunities. Researchers assert that an essential component to recruiting faculty
is addressing the motivations that pull prospective employees away from their current employers.
Chapter two also outlined various approaches and frameworks to attracting prospective
employees. Joiner (2005) compared the process of recruitment to in auction in which prospects
received bids, in the form of benefits and incentives, in exchange for their services. An earlier
model noted recruitment to be a three-step sequence, wherein the prospect first learns of the job,
then values the opportunity and agrees to be hired (Rahman, 2001). Additionally, Breaugh and
Starke (2000) provided a model for organizations that addressed more than recruiting a large
number of applicants and focused on the speed at which positions are filled, alongside the
retention and diversity of the workplace.
Next, chapter three described the research methods that were utilized in this study. Mixed
methods were applied to better understand the perspectives of faculty members at Education
City. Data was collected via interviews that were conducted with faculty and administrators
from five branch campuses, in conjunction with online surveys, documents, and on-site
observations. The data was coded and analyzed using the faculty migration model (Mattier,
1988) as a framework for understanding the personal and professional considerations that
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 87
influenced American faculty to work abroad. The model explains that both current and
prospective employers can utilize various incentives that will either attract or deter employees.
The faculty migration model guided the survey questions of this study, which utilized a Likert
scale to measure the extent to which personal and professional factors influenced the decisions of
American faculty to work in Qatar. An analysis of the data using the faculty migration model
was provided in chapter four. The next section provides an overview of the central findings from
that analysis.
Summary of Findings
This study addressed the factors that induced American faculty to work at branch
campuses in Qatar’s Education City. This dissertation sought to answer the research questions
and make recommendations that may be generalized to other institutions seeking to recruit
faculty to their overseas campuses. In chapter four, findings were discussed for each of the
study’s research questions. Participant observations, document analysis, surveys, and interviews
with American faculty and administrators at branch campuses in Education City provided a
depth of data from which to analyze and draw conclusions based on the overarching research
question and two sub-questions. An overview of the findings from that analysis is provided
below.
Primary Research Question
What factors induced American faculty to work at branch campuses in Qatar’s
Education City? American faculty chose to work at one of the five American branch campuses
in Education City after weighing the appeal of assorted personal and professional benefits
associated with living in Qatar. In general, American faculty members were highly influenced
by salary and a desire for change or adventure. American faculty were drawn to the higher
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 88
salaries and financial advantages enjoyed in Qatar, which offered them the opportunity to save
and, for some, experience a higher standard of living. Salary, however, was not the sole
determinant for the majority of faculty working at Education City. Most of the professors who
work in Education City also had a desire for change or adventure and often had ties to the region
in either a direct manner, such as family members living in the region, or indirect manner, such
as previous exposure to the Middle East through work or travel. Faculty who had a general
appreciation for new experiences and a willingness to adapt were found to be more likely to live
in Qatar for extended periods of time.
Respondents who had a desire to travel and gain experiences in a foreign country and
initial misperceptions about Qatar’s safety were apprehensive before moving to Education City.
However, all seven interviewees viewed Qatar as one of the safest countries in the world.
Additionally, it was evident the desire for change or adventure appealed to professors who were
experiencing a transition in their lives or felt the timing or circumstances were optimal for them
to move overseas.
Overall, this study found that working at Education City lends itself better to a certain
composition of faculty than others. The seven interviewees of this study generally described
Qatar as one of the safest countries in the world, and perceived living in Qatar to be ideal for
faculty who are married without children and in the early or latter part of their careers. While
older professors considered salary to have the highest influence on their decision to work
overseas, the push effects of the job market in the United States and career goals had the highest
influence on younger faculty.
Interviews also discovered that faculty who are single or married with children
experienced the greatest number of challenges while living in Qatar. For faculty who are single,
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 89
cultural restrictions on dating and the sparse and limited nightlife in Doha can discourage some
from extending their stay in Qatar. For married faculty with children, the lack of space at the
limited number of quality schools in Doha is a growing concern that should be addressed by
Education City and its university partners.
Research Sub-Question A
What were the personal considerations that induced American faculty to work in
Education City, and which had the greatest influence on their decisions? The data shows the
desire for change or adventure was the personal consideration that positively influenced the
greatest number of American faculty in Qatar. Using Matier’s (1988) faculty migration
framework, it was evident that the desire to travel and gain experiences abroad appealed to
American faculty who were experiencing a transition in life or felt the time or circumstances
were optimal to relocate. A characteristic that accompanied faculty members’ desire for change
was their openness and acceptance of the differences between American and Qatari cultures,
which increased the likelihood of them working at Education City for durations longer than their
initial contract terms. For Western expatriates who sought change but were unfamiliar with
Qatar and its culture, pre-employment visits and resources such as the Marhaba, a local
guidebook given to all prospective employees, provide only a basic, surface-level competence of
the local and regional culture. Interviews discovered American faculty at the branch campuses
could benefit from greater levels of cross-cultural training. Unaware of the many nuances of the
Qatari culture, several interviewees were surprised to discover the extraordinary level of safety
enjoyed in Qatar, but were surprised to learn of the traffic conditions and temperamental drivers
in Doha. The study also revealed that a majority of the faculty who were influenced to work at
Education City because of a desire for change or adventure had, to some extent, ties to the
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 90
Middle East. For example, it was learned that faculty had a greater proclivity to work at
Education City if they had family living in the Middle East or travelled to the region in the past.
Research Sub-Question B
What were the professional considerations that induced American faculty to work
in Education City, and which had the greatest influence on their decisions? Many American
faculty members were initially enticed by higher salaries alongside the financial advantages
associated to living in Qatar. When accounting for the assortment of financial benefits faculty
members receive when living in Qatar, such as free housing, it appears faculty can save a
substantial amount of money and enjoy a high standard of living. Salary was found to have a
strong enough influence that some expatriates were willing to disregard sociocultural
environment of Qatar, which they viewed as a deterrent, for the sake of monetary gain. Older
faculty members, in particular, were highly influenced by salary to work at Education City,
whereas the job market in the United States and career goals had the highest influence on
younger faculty. American faculty with less experience worked in Qatar to gain teaching or
research experience to strengthen their resumes and, for some, to improve their chances of a
tenure-track position in the United States. Although male and female faculty members were both
positively influenced by salary, female respondents were most influenced by their career goals
and trajectory, followed by salary.
Recommendations for Practice
During a pre-employment visit to Education City, one professor shared that a
representative from a branch campus devoted a majority of the trip to showcasing the campus
grounds. This approach to recruitment seems understandable given Education City is comprised
of buildings that are as opulent as they are massive, landscape that is meticulously maintained
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 91
and adorned with distinct sculptures and water features, and towering construction cranes that
mark the ongoing development and expansion of the campus. Nevertheless, faculty recruitment
requires more than the lure of a beautiful campus.
Effective recruitment, as an administrator from a branch campus explained, entails
managing the expectations of prospective faculty. In order to better manage the expectations of
American faculty, branch campuses should explain not only the attractive aspects of living and
working in Qatar, but the unattractive aspects as well. For example, for faculty who are single,
cultural restrictions on dating and the marginal nightlife in Doha can discourage them from
extending their stay in Qatar. Similarly, for faculty members with children the lack of spaces at
the few prestigious schools in Doha has become a growing concern that needs to be investigated
and addressed.
The research findings also indicate that branch campuses at Education City should
provide incoming faculty with greater amounts of formal and informal cross-cultural training.
Resources given to faculty, such as the Marhaba, provide only a basic, surface-level introduction
to the local and regional culture, and interviewees were often surprised to learn about various
facets of the Qatari culture, from the country’s high level of safety and socioeconomic stability to
its intimidating and often frustrating traffic. Furthermore, although the branch campuses at
Education City have a done a phenomenal job of providing resources and amenities that promote
professional effectiveness, it remains unclear how the campuses attempt to cultivate relationships
among faculty members or facilitate acculturation, which may increase the likelihood faculty
will desire to stay in Qatar for extended durations.
Another issue brought forth by this study was American faculty want greater job security
and support while working for branch campuses at Education City. Opaque and subjective
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 92
review procedures have left many professors often feeling dispensable and unsatisfied. A way in
which the branch campuses could endorse greater job security would be to adopt evaluation
criteria that are clear and transparent during the rehiring process. The branch campuses could
also further support their faculty by providing them incentives and backing to conduct research.
As mentioned in chapter four, faculty members are hesitant to conduct research while at
Education City in the event there are findings that could jeopardize their employment. Thus, a
palpable tension regularly exists between American professors who are accustomed to academic
freedom and administrators who adhere to Qatar’s tradition of censorship. American professor
would be more apt to conduct research if they received not only encouragement, but also
assurances that their jobs will be secure, regardless of the findings, once their research has been
approved.
The previously described set of personal and professional benefits that positively
influenced faculty to work abroad can be used as a model for new recruitment practices. This
study revealed that specific groups of faculty were more inclined to work and stay in Qatar than
others; branch campuses at Education City could benefit from focusing their recruitment efforts
toward these specific groups. First, Education City was found to be an ideal place for faculty
who are either in the early or latter portions of their career. Faculty expatriates who are married
without children were also found to experience the least amount of challenges while living in
Qatar, whereas single faculty and those with children faced challenges that deterred many of
them from working at Education City for extended periods. Lastly, American faculty who have
been exposed to the Middle East in an indirect or direct way, such as those who previously
travelled to the Middle East or have a spouse who worked in the region, are more apt to adapt to
the Qatari culture and experience greater job satisfaction.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 93
Recommendations for Research
Although the analysis in this study does not suggest that experiences at branch campuses
in Education City are generalizable to all branch campuses in the Middle East or elsewhere, this
dissertation does aim to provide pertinent information on ways in which international branch
campuses could effectively recruit American faculty overseas. As branch campuses throughout
the world continue to grow in number and scale, research on the ways in which campuses
attempt to recruit faculty expatriates should be expanded. Additional studies exploring the
development of branch campuses in other parts of the Middle East and other regions of the world
would enhance the breadth of knowledge regarding this topic. Studies that examine the
professional outcomes of faculty who return to the United States after working at branch
campuses could illuminate whether or not their time overseas advanced their careers. Similarly,
a longitudinal study of junior faculty who work overseas immediately after receiving their
doctorates could elucidate the bearing that experiences abroad might have on professoriates’
careers. Furthermore, research that attempts to understand the motivations of faculty from
countries other than the United States – and includes the alternative job options that were
available to them prior to accepting their appointments – would also benefit the literature in this
area.
As the faculty migration model (Matier, 1988) suggests, branch campuses can utilize
incentives that can either attract or deter employees. Further research on the particular sets of
incentives used by branch campuses to attract faculty is needed. The scope of this research
limited the capability to study the success of Education City and its branch campuses in
achieving their recruitment goals, but an ancillary facet to this subject is faculty retention. A
substantial increase to this research would be the assessment of faculty retention at international
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 94
branch campuses at Education City and throughout the world. Research that examines whether
cross-cultural training influences the retention of American expatriates would be a considerable
addition to this field of study. Likewise, a longitudinal study that compiles faculty interviews
could uncover the incentives that retain faculty at overseas campuses for periods beyond their
initial contracts. Additionally, more case studies that consider the role of higher education in the
host country, alongside the sociocultural elements unique to its location will be helpful for
determining the effect of societal and cultural influences on the recruitment and retention of
faculty at overseas campuses.
Education City and its university partners could also explore the incentives that attract
American faculty directly from the home campuses. Researchers have noted their concern
regarding the inability of branch campuses to replicate the combination of faculty – and the
professional experiences and prestige that accompany them – found at the home campuses.
Studies that discover the enticements that recruit faculty from home campuses could likely
strengthen the branch campuses’ brand and overall reputation. Further filling the gap in this
literature is an important progression to the sustainability of international branch campuses.
Conclusion

The viability of international branch campuses will remain a topic of discussion
throughout the twenty-first century. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected through
advancements in technology, opportunistic countries, such as the United States, will seek to
internationalize higher education for, among other reasons, economic and cultural development.
Although American colleges and universities continue to establish overseas campuses, we still
have limited knowledge of the strategic choices underlying the sustainability of these ventures.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 95
The overall conclusion drawn from the analysis of interviews, participant observation,
and written materials is that faculty working at branch campuses in Education City were
influenced more by professional benefits than they were by benefits that were not related to their
careers. The results of faculty and administrator interviews demonstrate that life beyond the
classroom or laboratory was found to be a major factor in whether or not they stay or leave
Education City after their initial employment contracts.
While focusing efforts solely to recruitment would not function as a barrier to most
internationalization efforts, instances where both recruitment and retention exist can be a bridge
to the sustainability of international branch campuses. The ostensible question remains whether
the branch campuses at Education City seek simply to recruit American faculty to their
campuses, or to recruit and retain them for an extended period of time. Branch campuses at
Education City can portray a clear message that they value the recruitment and retention of
faculty by establishing contract durations that are equivalent across all campuses, and providing
a clear, transparent rehiring protocol. The impact of focusing efforts toward both recruitment
and retention will likely lead to greater job satisfaction and effectiveness on the part of faculty
and, as a result, improved engagement and learning outcomes for students.

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 96
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RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 106
Appendix A
Online Survey Protocol for Faculty
Prompt: Dear Faculty: This survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.
Your responses will remain confidential. Please select the most applicable answer to the
following questions:
1. What is your gender?
a. Male
b. Female
2. What is your age?
a. < 30 years old
b. 30-39 years old
c. 40-49 years old
d. 50-60 years old
e. 60 years old
3. What is the status of your passport?
a. Qatari National
b. US Citizen
c. Expatriate – Arab/Middle Eastern background
d. Expatriate – Other national region
4. Prior to working at a branch campus in Education City:
a. You were completing your advanced degree
b You worked in the United States at the branch’s main campus
c. You worked in the United States at a college or university different than
the branch’s main campus
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 107
d. You worked at an institution of higher education outside of the United
States
5. How long have you been working at your current position?
a. < 6 months
b. 6-12 months
c. 13-24 months
d. > 24 months
6. How much total experience do you have working as a faculty member?
a. < 5 years
b. 5-9 years
c. 10-15 years
d. > 15 years
7. To what degree did the following professional benefits positively or negatively
influence your decision to work at Education City? (Likert scale – Very Negative, Slightly
Negative, Neutral or Unsure, Slightly Positive, Very Positive)
a. Salary
b. Research opportunities in Qatar
c. Teaching opportunities in Qatar
d. Lack of opportunities in your home country
e. Institutional reputation of the branch campus
f. Advancing your professional reputation
g. Your career trajectory and goals
h. Gaining professional experiences abroad
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 108
8. To what degree did the following personal benefits positively or negatively influence
your decision to work at Education City? (Likert scale – Very Negative, Slightly Negative,
Neutral or Unsure, Slightly Positive, Very Positive)
a. Standard of living
b. Perceptions of Qatar
c. Housing accommodations
d. Schools available for your children in Qatar
e. Job opportunities for your spouse in Qatar
f. Cultural differences
g. Desire for change and/or adventure
h. Having a sense of belonging
9. Which of the following professional considerations had the greatest positive influence
on your decision to work at Education City?
a. Salary
b. Research opportunities in Qatar
c. Teaching opportunities in Qatar
d. Lack of opportunities in your home country
e. Institutional reputation of the branch campus
f. Advancing your professional reputation
g. Your career trajectory and goals
h. Gaining professional experiences abroad
i. Other professional consideration (please explain)
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 109
10. Which of the following personal considerations had the greatest positive influence on
your decision to work at Education City?
a. Standard of living
b. Perceptions of Qatar
c. Housing accommodations
d. Schools available for your children in Qatar
e. Job opportunities for your spouse in Qatar
f. Cultural differences
g. Desire for change and/or adventure
h. Having a sense of belonging
i. Other personal consideration (please explain)
11. Overall, which had a stronger positive influence on your decision to work at
Education City?
a. Personal considerations
b. Professional considerations
12. Would you like to participate in a follow-up interview? (Your information will
remain confidential)
a. Yes
b. No

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 110
Appendix B
Interview Protocol for Faculty

1. How long have you been working at your current position? Is this the position you
originally applied for?
2. How did learn about the employment opportunities at Education City?
3. What were the professional considerations that influenced your decision to work at
Qatar?
4. What were the personal considerations that influenced your decision to work at Qatar?
5. Please explain how you arrived at your decision to work at Qatar.
6. What has been the most attractive benefit of working in Qatar?
7. What has been the most attractive benefit of working at [institution’s name]?
8. Were there any surprising benefits about working in Qatar since you started working
here?
9. Were there any surprising benefits about working at [institution’s name] since you
started working here?
10. In general, what do you believe are the factors American faculty members will take
into consideration before working at Education City?
11. Are faculty members choosing to extend their stay at Qatar? Why (or why not)?

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 111
Appendix C
Interview Participation Consent Form

University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089

INFORMATION/FACTS SHEET FOR NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH

“Recruiting Faculty Abroad: Examining the Factors that Attract American Faculty to
Work at Branch Campuses in Qatar’s Education City”

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Reginald H. Laigo, candidate for
the Ed.D., and co-chairs Mark P. Robison, Ph.D., and Michael A. Diamond, Ph.D., from the
Rossier School of Education, Doctor of Education Program at the University of Southern
California. The results of this study will contribute to Reginald H. Laigo’s doctoral dissertation.
You were selected as a possible participant in this study because you are currently an American
faculty member working at either Carnegie Mellon Qatar, Georgetown University School of
Foreign Service in Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar, Texas A & M University in Qatar,
Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar, or Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. You
should be at least 18 years old to participate in this study. Your participation is voluntary. You
have been selected to participate because you have been identified as a non-visiting American
faculty member who is currently working in Qatar’s Education City.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

We are asking you to take part in a research study because we are trying to learn more about the
work related and non-work related factors that attract American faculty to work at branch
campuses in Qatar’s Education City.
Response to the interview questions will constitute consent to participate in this research project.
PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT

You will be asked to participate in a one-on-one, individual interview at a place of your choice
on the facilities of Education City. The initial interview should take approximately forty-five
(45) minutes to one (1) hour of your time. You will only need to identify your title during the
audio recording; your name will be omitted so that the interview can be transcribed. Pseudonyms
will be utilized in the place of actual names for identification purposes. If you are not available to
interview in person on the facilities of Education City, video conferencing or a phone interview
may be utilized. Following the initial interview, and if you agree to it, the researcher may contact
you post-interview by email or phone in case follow-up information is needed. The amount of
time spent for follow-up questions, either by phone, email or in-person, should not exceed more
than one (1) hour total of your time.
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 112

PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION

You will not receive any payment for your participation in this research study.
CONFIDENTIALITY

Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be identified with you
will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your permission or as required by law.
The information which has your identifiable information will be kept separately from the rest of
the data.
Only members of the research team will have access to the data associated with this study. The
data will be stored in the investigator’s office in a locked file cabinet/password protected
computer. The institution’s name, institutional partnerships and programs may be identified for
the purposes of the study. Personal information collected, such as your name, will not be
disclosed during the study. Pseudonyms will be utilized in the place of actual names for
identification purposes. Your title/role at the institution will not be used (e.g., President, Vice
President, Dean or Director) to identify your position at the institution, and your actual title will
be replaced by a Pseudonym. Additionally, the institution’s name will also be replaced by a
Pseudonym.
The data will be stored for three (3) years after the study has been completed and then destroyed.
Before the interview begins, you will be asked by the researcher if the interview can be audio
taped and notes taken. The researcher will be the only person with access to audio tape recording
and notes gathered. Information recorded during this time will be used for purposes of the
research study. If you decline the option for audio recording or note taking, you may continue to
participate in the study.
When the results of the research are published or discussed in conferences, no information will
be included that would reveal your identity. Only the principal researcher and the faculty sponsor
will have access to the data collected. Furthermore, all information collected will be kept in a
secure location on the University of Southern California campus. Only your title/role associated
with the institution will be disclosed. As the subject of the study, you have the right to
review/edit the tapes up until the completion of the study.
The members of the research team, and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research
studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.

INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Reginald H. Laigo
Waite Philips Hall (WPH 600)
Los Angeles, CA 90089
laigo@usc.edu
RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 113

IRB CONTACT INFORMATION

University Park IRB, Office of the Vice Provost for Research Advancement, Credit Union
Building, 3720 South Flower Street, CUB # 301 Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272
or upirb@usc.edu

RECRUITING FACULTY ABROAD 114
Appendix D
Survey Response Frequency Table
(N = 39)

Considerations
Very
Negative
Slightly
Negative
Neutral
or
Unsure
Slightly
Positive
Very
Positive
Mean
Salary 0 0 5 9 25 4.51
Teaching
Opportunities in
Qatar
0 0 11 10 18 4.18
Gain Professional
Experience Abroad
1 1 11 13 14 4.00
Career Goals and
Trajectory
0 3 10 14 12 3.90
Research.
Opportunities
1 4 11 10 13 3.77
Lack of Jobs in the
United States
8 1 16 5 9 3.15
Desire for Change
and/or Adventure
0 1 9 8 21 4.26
Increase Standard
of Living
0 3 9 16 11 3.90
Housing
Accommodations
0 2 9 20 8 3.87
Cultural
Differences
0 5 10 10 14 3.85
Perceptions of
Qatar
1 4 16 14 4 3.41
Schools for
Children
3 2 22 7 5 3.23

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study examines the sustainability of international branch campuses by applying the faculty migration framework (Matier, 1988) from faculty recruitment literature to identify the incentives that influenced American faculty to work at branch campuses in Qatar’s Education City. The purpose of this study was to determine the specific work-related and non-work-related benefits that influenced American faculty to work at branch campuses in a Middle Eastern country, and to examine the factors that guided their decisions to work overseas. This case study utilized qualitative techniques in the form of site observation, document analysis, and seven in-person interviews with faculty and administrators from five branch campuses in order to gain perspective into the incentives that positively motivated faculty. Further analysis was conducted using data from surveys of 39 American expatriates. Findings from this study indicate that American faculty members were greatly influenced by financial incentives, such as salary and an increased standard of living, alongside the desire for adventure or change in their lives. Based on this analysis, branch campuses in Qatar seeking to improve their recruitment practices may benefit from focusing their efforts toward specific groups of faculty who are most likely to work and stay in the country, such as married couples without children and faculty who have prior exposure to the Middle East.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Laigo, Reginald H. (author)

Core Title Recruiting faculty abroad: examining factors that induced American faculty to work at branch campuses in Qatar's Education City

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 10/04/2013

Defense Date 08/27/2013

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag abroad,branch campus,Campus,Doha,Education City,faculty,International,OAI-PMH Harvest,Propaganda, American,Qatar,recruitment

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Diamond, Michael A. (committee chair), Robison, Mark Power (committee chair), Brewer, Dominic J. (committee member)

Creator Email laigo@usc.edu,mcflaigo@outlook.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-335229

Unique identifier UC11296232

Identifier etd-LaigoRegin-2078.pdf (filename),usctheses-c3-335229 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-LaigoRegin-2078.pdf

Dmrecord 335229

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Laigo, Reginald H.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

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