The Effects of Employee Commitment in Transnational Higher Education: The Case of International Branch Campuses

Higher education is a labour intensive activity and strong organisational performance depends upon employee commitment. This study analyses antecedents and consequences of employee commitment in universities that are involved in transnational higher education, with a focus on identifying differences between the employees at home and foreign branch campuses. The data for the study were obtained using a questionnaire that was completed by both teaching and non-teaching staff at three institutions in the UK, three institutions in Malaysia, and two institutions in the United Arab Emirates. A conceptual model was proposed and tested using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that employees at international branch campuses are not as motivated and committed to their organisations as their counterparts at home campuses. The findings suggest that institutions need to employ different and customised human resource strategies at home and foreign campuses, specifically with the aim of improving employee commitment and performance at the foreign campuses.