• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.264-288
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• 2014

The competition for attracting outstanding HRST (human resource for science and technology) who can lead technological innovation is heating up all over the world. The various concepts, which are brain drain, brain gain, brain overflow, brain migration, brain circulation, are used to explain the international mobility of HRST. But the concept of brain scout is the more adequate for explaining in the case of outstanding HRST as the main cause of excessive competition for scouting. This study analyzed the critical factors of the determinants of Korean students in the USA who have intentions of returning to Korea in view of brain scout. As the first step in this study, potential factors and hypothesis are established by the interviews. As the second step, the major factors are examined by surveys and hypothesis testing. Also, a new model for decision-making is proposed which describes intentions of returning to Korea by logistic regression analysis and contributions of each factor derived from this study were compared. Finally, policy implications for attracting outstanding HRST and the limit of this study are discussed.