Motivations for Chinese overseas graduates returning home The number of Chinese overseas students has been increasing at a dramatic rate, especially since the early 1990s. The “going abroad heat” has never slackened among mainland China’s young people. China is the world’s second largest economic entity and Chinese people are getting better off with the globalization and opening reform, thus studying abroad is no longer mysterious and unachievable for the average families in China. In contrast, the “return-to-China heat” wave has caused the “American Dream” to fade rapidly among young Chinese who are now casting their eyes towards their motherland. Kellogg(2012) concludes that surveys conducted in 2001 and 2005 of Chinese students enrolled at American universities showed that the intention to return home after graduation is indeed rising.(p.83-104) Chinese contemporary economics, especially social economics, is giving more and more attention to such factors as manpower and talent. Wang (2004) states that the New York Times estimates that this large-scale reflux of talent will be a major phenomenon in China in the next decade.(p.7-11) So, an analysis of the incentives for international graduates returning back to China reveals that the tangible benefits offered by the Chinese governmental policies as well as the intangible benefits in a form of psychological satisfaction are the two main aspects of the returnees’ motivation. China is becoming the largest source of international students for the higher education in the US. (Fei, 2011, p.20-21) There are many reasons why foreign countries attract self-funded students from among middle and primary school students and adults in the developing countries. According to Du(2001), “ The most fundamental reason, apart from superior economic conditions and living environments, lies in their advanced educational methods and excellent research conditions.(p.39-47)” It is redundant to say that studying in the developed countries can gain a wider range of advanced knowledge. Although Chinese people is pursuing a degree abroad, it does not mean pursuing a job abroad. During recent years, Chinese immigration to the US has been at a decreasing rate. According to Tsui (2011), “In the past five years, the number of Chinese immigrants to the US has been on the decline, from peak of 87,307 in 2006 to 70,863 in 2010(p.17-18).” The American dream is not as appealing as decades ago, instead the “Chinese Dream” is becoming more and more popular among the younger generation. As Gao(2003) suggests, the success and experience of Chinese overseas students, who had already embraced the “American dream” but have now returned to China to create their own endeavors, have been reported and transmitted by the mainland media, resulting in the rapid dissemination of the “China opportunity theory” on China’s college campuses and online youth forums(p.84-87). Based on this fact, what are the concerns for the Chinese graduates when referring to job orientation? Singaraveiu, White& Bringaze (2005) found that Asian international students’ job decisions were largely impacted by career certainty, the formal guidance system of the school, and the opinions of their friends (p.46-59). Also, salary is not the most important issue when Chinese students make their job decision. In fact, they pay more attention to their personal growth in the job. Chinese graduates return home because they are lured by a competitive and attractive economic environment in China. China’s economy alone is making a good showing, and the attraction presents for returnees can be well imagined. Gao(2003) states that according to official Chinese statistics, the number of returnees is increasing progressively by 13 percent per annum, from 1,593 persons in 1990 to 7,397 in 1998-virtually five times the figure in 1990. And he also predicts that during the Tenth Five-Year Plan Period, efforts will be made to attract around ten thousand overseas students to come back and work in China each year (p.84-85). It is obvious that Chinese government is making progress of attracting overseas scholars back and they have been gradually becoming a key force in politics and commerce and are raising the competiveness of the mainland’s economy. The development in the twenty-first century will, to a large extent, be determined by high-tech development, or what we often call the knowledge economy or new economy, and talent is the foremost, key element in developing the knowledge economy. Cai (2003) suggests that in order to pursue the leading national strength among the other countries, China should be dominant in the talent competition and use the high-tech talent to push forward the development of its productive forces (p.7-11). As a matter of fact, China is in a great need of talents, especially those with the overseas education background because those kind of labor force have fairy strong capabilities of independence, survival, and mental endurance, even though some may need a period of acclimatization. In conclusion, Chinese outstanding talent is not only a factor in production, but also knowledge capital and cultural capital, and the direction of flow of these talented people not only affects the ups and downs of China’s economy, but many also determine the rise or decline of the country. Not only is China’s economics of great attractiveness to the returnees, Chinese central and municipal governments are implementing policies of greater openness, and setting various mechanisms in order to attract the overseas scholars back to the Chinese mainland. To encourage study-abroad students to come back and set up endeavors, the central and local governments have put out many preferential policies, and localities have established various kinds of special zones that provide services to returned students. For example, Beijing China Overseas Students Pioneer Park is a Ministry of personnel and the Beijing Municipal People's Government House attracting, nurturing, fostering students studying abroad to return home for comprehensive business which provides a full range of specialized. Similarly, according to Sun, Gui and Chen (2005), “The manager of the office of Beijing, China overseas students Pioneer Park maintains that the park is a very good form of organization for supporting pioneering activities by study-abroad personnel and is satisfying the need of returnees who truly wishes to set up endeavors (p.81-86).” Fairly to say, as compared to the past, the government has achieved in cultivating a more preferable research condition and conditions of tenure for the scholars. Cai(2003) says that the Chinese government’s policy for oversea scholars emphasize supporting studying abroad, encourage scholars to return, and freedom to come and go(p.7-11). Although the policies are intended to attract more overseas scholars back to China, it is based on the principal and sprit of freedom which may have a positive effort for its purpose. However, some of the policies underlines the financial benefits for the returnees. As Tsui (2011) indicates, Chinese overseas graduates are coming back to China recently because of the government incentives include financial aid, cash bonus, taxes break, and housing assistance (p.17-18). Admittedly, most people cannot resist the lure of money as well as the favorable welfare. In short, the Chinese central and governmental governments were taking various measurements to create more convenient working and living conditions for returning scholars, implement more open policies, and set up versatile mechanisms. Other than the financial benefits and favorable governmental policies, Chinese graduates return home because they have a strong cultural and family tie as well as an expectation of their parents. Cultural and ethical values are one of the most significant factors when making a job decision. Katz, Juni, Shope,&Tang(1993) suggest that the most important factor for the job concern of international students is their countries’ cultural background that reflects strongly its social values.(p.761-763) A typical and common core value among Chinese people is that they always put family above their individual and personal needs. It makes sense that Chinese people have a deeper family tie than other nations and would be more willing to go back to the mainstream society in China. Also, due to the One-Child Policy, Chinese overseas graduates, especially who is the only child in his or her family, condignly take the responsibility of taking care of their parents. Tung (2007) argues that one of the biggest concerns for the Chinese overseas students when make a settlement decision is that, based on the traditional value, children are supposed to financially support and accompany their parents when parents are getting old. (p.868-889) Due to most of the traditional Chinese parents’ expectation of being around with their kids, Chinese overseas graduates are more likely to return back to China in order not to disappoint their parents and to try to be filial. It has a little difference between males and females when making a settlement decision. As Liang states, there is a difference in genders when deciding their career settlement and surveys show that females are more likely to return back to home country because they have a stronger attachment to their parents and being less capable to take a stand in the foreign countries (p.1-16). Taking a stand in the foreign countries could be hard for the Chinese overseas graduates, especially who are only pursuing a 2-3 year university degree. And one of the most common obstruction is the cultural shock, especially the romantic relationships and the values towards marriage. So, they are less likely to settle down in the foreign countries because they still prefer to getting married with the same nation. Thus, female Chinese overseas students are less likely to stay abroad because they are more attached to the home country’s cultural environments and the core traditional values. In addition to the traditional value towards families, another essential psychological pursuit for the Chinese returnees is belongingness and the willingness of return to the mainstream society in China. There is a well-known metaphor about Chinese abroad having a transparent, impenetrable ceiling above their heads, no matter how outstanding they may be. Wang(2004) suggests a lot of overseas Chinese have a strong sense of drifting out of the mainstream society when they are abroad and are hardly being able to transfer the “Chinese hearts” into “foreign hearts” (p.7-11). It is, of course, not a good thing to drift outside mainstream society for long periods. Although some of them may work in large companies, live in decent communities and send their children to well-known campus, they may be unable to merge completely into the cultures abroad. But once they come back to China, they easily enter the mainstream society. Another idea is the home sentiments of the Chinese. Chinese people have a strong patriotism that motivates them going back to home to contribute their share of national construction. Tung (2007) concludes that returnees show greatest concern for personal prospects and careers and improving livelihood took second and searching for belongingness took third place(p.868-889). As a matter of fact, the returnees have the advantages of knowing the outside world. For example, after China joins the WTO, merging with the rest of the world will be one of China’s objectives. In the process of realizing this objective, the returnees with their international academic backgrounds and their technological advantage of having been involved in high-tech domains abroad, will be the “new darlings” on the Chinese domestic labor market. They have comparative advantages in the domestic job market than abroad also comparative advantages compared to native college graduates. It is easier for overseas graduates to achieve belongingness in domestic country than abroad. Although there are a lot of attractiveness for Chinese international students when deciding the job settlement and in essence, they are more preferable and willing to go back home, the difficulties in reality may not be avoided. First of all, a shortcoming most commonly found among returnees is lack of understanding of the Chinese market. Many returnees who return to start up endeavors in China say with emotion that the Chinese market does not look like anything out of the ordinary, but once one sets foot on it one realizes that its water run deep. For example, accounting major students may suffer from the huge differences from countries to countries’ accounting system and accounting rules and laws. It really takes time and effort to adapt to the disparities when coming back home to work. Secondly, the intricate and complicated interpersonal relationships seem to be the primary obstacle. According to Liu (2013), “Most noteworthy, the participants’ interpersonal relationships revealed the importance of interpersonal relationship that has been influencing Chinese society for thousands of years.” In China, “guanxi” which means all kinds of relationships you have, is of vital importance in seeking a job. It is a common sense that one could easily get a job as long as he/she has an intimate relationship with someone in a top management position, whereas others might not be able to get a job offer no matter how qualified they are. In contrast, relationships abroad are fairly simple and direct, and after living ten or more years in another country, the overseas Chinese have gradually become accustomed to an unattached way of life. After staying abroad for an extended period of time, dealing with relationships in China is really a new lesson for these Chinese overseas talents. So, how to survive under such an intricate networking is a huge challenge to the overseas returnees. In conclusion, the motivations for Chinese overseas graduates to return home are rapid growth economy; favorable governmental policies; a strong family tie and belongingness in the mainstream society. Since the difficulties to the returnees may exits to become big problems. Here are a few suggestions. Sun, Gui (2005) and Chen suggest that returnees, and especially those who lack work experience, had best refrain from setting up endeavors when coming back, but should first look for working at an enterprise and familiarize themselves with the environment (p.81-86) In reality, returnees may not attach too much importance on what they do or how much they earn in their first job after returning to China, They should look at things from the perspective of possible developments in the future. They could first find domain that pleases them and give others a chance to see their abilities, even if it means working gratis for a time. Also, they should not keep their eyes glued on big cities when they seek employment. In fact, there are currently a great many opportunities for employment in the second-tier cities.

References
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