Outsourcing – Don't Get Bangalored?
As the world has gotten “smaller” in terms of trade, outsourcing has become a hot topic in much political and economic debate in the United States.
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll in May 2004, found that 69 per cent of Americans thought that outsourcing hurts the US economy while only 17 per cent thought it helped . President Bush’s chief economic advisor Greg Mankiw has stated “outsourcing…is something that we should realize is probably a plus for the economy in the long run” . While John Kerry has emphasized, that he is going to stop the outsourcing of American job .
Outsourcing: The Demise of the U.S Economy
As many people around the nation are aware of, the nine to ten percent unemployment hike in a span of just 3 years (Fig. 1 U.S Bureau of Labor) is just tearing the United States economy from the inside out. Millions of people in the once mighty U.S work force are now barely making ends meet and thousands more are fighting a losing battle to keep a roof over their heads as the growing unemployment rate consumes every aspect of the economy. Personally, I have seen many good people, and hard workers lose their jobs because big companies are trying to cope with the declining economy and quite frankly, I truly believe that more things can be done to ensure job security. In order to fix the unemployment problem, one must find out the ultimate source from which the problem originates.
Outsourcing emerged on the financial arena during the 1980s and has since then been spreading. Outsourcing production was furthered with the process of globalization which provided a new component leading to the strengthening of resources, skill and labor specializations across the world. The process of outsourcing is using the skill and abilities of a third-party to accommodate society on the foundation of labor. As stated earlier, it was during the 1980s that the process kicked off mainly due to the efforts of corporations when they began to hire labor forces across the world. Even though outsourcing has come out from its developing stages, there are still following effects on the US economy.
Outsourcing has only very recently become an issue in the United States, and as a result it has become a very popular political issue during campaigns for presidency. Outsourcing is the idea that a company will subcontract to a third party, usually outside of the US, for various parts of its business structure. An example of this and perhaps the largest source of outsourcing is call centers for tech support, where a company will subcontract to a third party and that party will build up the call center and hire the workers for it. Many people have been affected by outsourcing since it started being used widely in the 1980s, and most would argue that outsourcing is not a good business model, that while it not only negatively affects them, it affects the whole economy. While there are some unmistakable positives to outsourcing, I would argue that as a whole, the negatives far outweigh the positives and outsourcing is bad for the United States.
Case Summary
The American Outsourcing Case is a compilation of factual information for the purpose of provoking debates. The authors present both the pros and cons of outsourcing, and avoid inserting their personal bias. The case clearly defines outsourcing and then focuses on outlining its existence in China, Mexico, and India. The evolution and U.S. involvement in the Maquiladoras of Mexico is described first.
The purview of this paper is designed to encompass the outsourcing of jobs in the manufacturing sector of the United States' economy. Beneficial and disadvantageous elements of globalization will be exposed within the respective boundaries inclusive to the outsourcing of U.S. industry jobs.
Outsourcing American Jobs
Outsourcing, no word in today's workforce is so loved or hated. Depending on who you are it is the greatest thing ever or an evil act by money hungry businesses at the expense of American workers. But what is the truth? Is it good? Is it bad?
What are the best ways for businesses to maximize profits? Businesses in the U.S. have answered this question with a very simple answer: make products overseas. This business tactic of using labor services from a third party is known as international outsourcing (Brecher 996). Within U.S. borders, there are certain regulations and restrictions on many aspects of the manufacturing process (Stephanie para 2). However, production is cheaper if they are made countries where regulations are less strict (Wood 25; Stephanie para 1). Despite the profits made from this technique, it can have some repercussions on the U.S. economy and the environment of nations occupying those factories (Marquis 39; Ahmed 192; Zhang 776). This springs a debate to whether more concern should be held for the outcry of Americans to bring jobs back to the U.S. (Ahmed 192; Stephanie para1) or to the freedoms of the businesses and their right to seek a profit (Salanţă 270).
The purpose of this paper is to analyze and come up with a reasonable conclusion on the effects of outsourcing in America. From overworking, to a decline in the manufacturing sector, a high wealth gap, and finally the contribution of corporate lobbying are prime examples of the by-product that were created by outsourcing. Although free trade is the root of the problem, outsourcing is the most prevalent issue that it has created. Since free trade is now a standard and cannot be eliminated we will look into how outsourcing, since it can still be controlled, has affected America.
Is Outsourcing Positive?? ?
Outsourcing- out•sourc•ing (out sôr s ng, -s r -) n.: <business> Paying another company to provide services which a company might otherwise have employed its own staff to perform, e.g. software development(dictionary.com) Outsourcing is becoming a common occurrence for industries in the United States.