Preview

Is Outsourcing Good

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
693 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Is Outsourcing Good
Is Outsourcing Good for America?
Outsourcing has been practice for decades, it happens when companies or business contract a third party, someone outside the business, to produce goods or provide services. Outsourcing can be local, within the same country or offshore, outside the country. Some of the job areas companies outsource are Accounting, Customer Services, Human Resources, Information and Technology and Payroll. Outsourcing supporters affirm that this activity provides substantial cost savings to businesses, through paying less to others do their job, at the same time they can lower prices of goods and services. Although outsourcing brings benefits to a company, this activity may limit the quality of products and the availability of
…show more content…
Sensitive information has to be given or transmitted to the outsourced organization which opens the chance that the information can be hacked or stolen during the process. Likewise, confidential information, like social security numbers, bank accounts, security codes, salaries, medical records, could be susceptible to misuse or inappropriate disclosure. Third parties, who have access to such information, may not have the same ethical standards as American workers, putting at risk the privacy of clients.
A former Chase call center rep tells the story about this one thief who was able to rip off one customer for over $40,000, thanks to his constant outwitting out the internationally out-sourced security department. It wasn't that hard. Over and over again, he was able to commit credit card fraud just knowing the guy's name, social, and mother's maiden name.
Outsourcing can also impact dramatically the safety and quality of products and services. Some companies do not properly evaluate the levels of risks associated with outsourcing and the impact to
…show more content…
In times of economic crisis some companies have been forced to downsize, lying off some workers and outsource in order to survive during difficult times. Every day we see highly skilled Americans working par-time jobs without social security and below the skill level they have been trained. Because the job they use to do has been outsourced. Outsourcing is economically justifiable only once the wage differential is large enough to more than make up for lower labor productivity. For example, if the higher wages of American workers are consistent with their relative productivity, there should be no reason for a company to move its operation overseas.
Outsourcing is an attractive mechanism that has been practice for long time and some companies have had positive results. However outsourcing is not a magical path that leads to a profitable and successful business all the time. There are a lot of risks inherent to this practice and any company willing to outsource should evaluate these risks responsibly.
American investor should come up with better ideas than cutting costs by outsourcing, it is not a very smart strategy for a country that have a significant number of under-employed or unemployed citizens. Would it be smarter to find the way to take advantage of the well-educated and experienced workers, the tax

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    The trend of outsourcing is becoming increasingly popular as more companies face tighter budget constraints. The decline of the economy has made much company’s look for a competitive edge by for off shoring workers to cut costs. When examining outsourcing there are several key aspects to look at. There are both internal and external pressures that encourage companies to look to outsourcing some of their resources. The outsourcing these company’s use has both positive and negative effects on the organization, stockholders, and employees that are a part of it. When a company chooses to outsource there are long term effects that fall on the areas outside of the company such as the economy, society, and political issues.…

    • 1621 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    For the most part, outsourcing and on-demand computing have had a positive financial impact on US businesses. They are able to “reduce costs, obtain state-of-the art technology, eliminate staffing and personnel problems, and increase technological flexibility” (Stair, 348). However, from a consumer standpoint, there has been much controversy over these tactics. For example, many believe that by outsourcing services to foreign companies for cheaper rates, businesses are damaging the local labor markets. Often times there are language barriers making communication difficult between consumers and foreign workers conducting companies’ services. Staff “turnover is higher under an outsourcer and key company skills may be lost with retention outside of the control of the company” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsourcing). Qualifications of outsourced staff are often well under those of actual business employees…

    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    One of the main reasons companies will consider outsourcing is the overall reduced costs. Outsourcing provides a more efficient approach in controlling operating costs. Costs per additional employee include salary, overhead, equipment/software, training/education, other supplies, and possibly facility costs (Sood, 2005). Another cost savings quality is in overall Human Resources, as outsourcing eliminates costs for future development of employees, current trainings, recruitment, payroll and benefits. There are many markets that are able to reduce operating expense and cost of goods sold through outsourcing. Highlighted in this paper will be IT, electronics, the automobile industry, and customer services.…

    • 2047 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Outsourcing is an allocation of specific business processes to a specialist external service provider. Most of the times an organization cannot handle all aspects of a business process internally. Additionally some processes are temporary and the organization does not intend to hire in-house professionals to perform the tasks. Once the task is outsourced to the service provider, he will take the responsibility of carrying out the tasks and maintaining the organization’s assets. However prior to outsourcing any component of your business to a third-party vendor, it is essential to understand the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing. Although outsourcing presents a variety of benefits to your organization, it could also pose difficulties if not outsourced to the right service provider. In this essay I will demonstrate on advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing tasks to a third party.…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The outsourcing of U.S. jobs overseas is part of an economic movement that promises a better life both for Americans and people in developing countries. Since international trade includes moving resources for relative advantage, the wonder of international outsourcing is not new. The U.S. imports goods that would cost higher to produce domestically, and it creates and sells to other countries goods that would cost more for them to create on their own. The immediate consequence resulting from outsourcing jobs is workers in the U.S. can do become unemployed. The problem that causes a debate over outsourcing is even though it promises a better life for all involved; it causes hardships on the American workers when they are laid off. Economists argue that outsourcing is a bad choice because of the workers that are being laid off and displaced.…

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Outsourcing and its affect on the U.S. is enough to elicit strong emotions on either side of the issue. Proponents argue that relocating low-skill service jobs, like those in customer service or data entry, to foreign shores is necessary to ensure the productivity and competitiveness of the U.S. economy . Detractors say American companies are…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Outsourcing

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Outsourcing is an effective cost-saving strategy when used properly. It is sometimes more affordable to purchase a good from companies with comparative advantages than it is to produce the good internally.…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kakabadse, A. and Kakabadse, N. (2005). Outsourcing: Current and Future Trends, Thunderbird International Business Review, Volume 47, Issue2, pp. 183 – 204.…

    • 34739 Words
    • 139 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Outsourcing: Is It Ethical

    • 1994 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Outsourcing has become a very hot topic in our country over the last few years. Many Americans view this topic as very controversial and unethical. Outsourcing is also known as the offshoring of American jobs. These jobs are being sent to foreign countries all over the world. Under George Bush’s administration the American economy lost 1.6 million jobs. Outsourcing to other countries is not limited to one business sector or profession; almost all professions are beginning to feel the effects of outsourcing. Many politicians, economists and business people are having very heated debates in regards to outsourcing. There are some who feel that outsourcing is good for the American economy. There are others who strongly disagree and argue that outsourcing is an action taken by greedy companies that disrupt the economic futures of many people and these actions are purely unethical.…

    • 1994 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    In a world of globalization, U.S. companies are constantly seeking strategies to become more competitive. Important objectives of the strategic response have been to reduce costs, stay ahead of competition, and enhance profits. Outsourcing has become a main cost-cutting strategy in the twenty-first century. It occurs when a company moves work out of the enterprise. A special report in the Canadian Business Review magazine refers to outsourcing as a strategic tool. The author, Michael F. Corbett, states that in the 1920s and 1930s, the model hat has shaped our thinking about organization has been that of a large, integrated corporation that own, manage, and directly control most or all of its assets and resources. However, today's organizations are increasingly turning to outsourcing and changing the way they do business. As a result, outsourcing becomes a tool that challenges managers to think about creating more flexible organizations based on core competencies and mutually beneficial, long-term outside relationships. I agree with the author in this area. It is impossible for any organization to have expertise in all areas of the company. Therefore, it is wiser to outsource some of the work to other organizations that can do it more efficiently in order to save time and money. How well this process will work depends on the relationship between the parties. Therefore, it is a key element to develop a fair and honest relationship in which both parties can benefit by working together.…

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In an effort to focus on core functions, reduce costs and increase efficiency, many organizations have been forced to outsource some departments and even divisions. Outsourcing is a common practice in the oil and gas industry and many companies have experimented with it. In fact, British Petroleum has outsourced its IT and accounting operations to other firms in order to concentrate on activities that facilitate improvements in the entire business (Cross, 1995; Outsourcing Center, 1999). This was not an easy task for BP to accomplish, especially in the Information Technology division. However, they wanted to ensure that the process was beneficial and so they experimented with selected outsourcing…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Effects of Outsourcing

    • 898 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One of the biggest reasons companies choose to outsource internal business functions is due to cost savings. Business is and has always been about optimizing value for less. One of the best ways to save money is to outsource some of the tasks required in your business to individuals from other countries. Initially the tasks being outsourced by companies were simple in nature. Jobs such as technical support, customer relations, and administrative functions were among the first to be sent overseas. More recently, the number of high functioning and skilled work being outsourced is more prevalent. In Outsourcing America, Ron Hira states that “Highly skilled, educated labor is far cheaper in many developing countries than it is in the United States. The savings in labor costs can be as high as a factor of 90 percent, though when one counts the additional burdens of management and coordination across thousands of miles, the net advantage is probably closer to 30 percent. For example, outsourcers charge $30 an hour for the services of a programmer in India, whereas they charge $120 for a programmer in the Midwest.” (Hira 67) While cheap labor can look attractive at first glance, companies must be wary of various…

    • 898 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Outsourcing

    • 3173 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Outsourcing can be defined in many ways. A definition from the Guide to Outsourcing in Supply Chain Management states, “We can define outsourcing as the process of moving aspects of your own company to another supplier” (169 Scott, Lundgren & Thompson, 2011). Ethanan Helpman from Harvard University defines it as “to refer to the acquisition of goods or services from an unaffiliated party” (127, Helpman, 2011) and Ashsiha Oza and Kathy Hill from Sam Houston State University define it as “turning over all or part of an organizational activity to an outside vendor” (15, Hill & Oza, 2007). Based on these definitions, outsourcing is the hiring of a third party to help with business. When discussing outsourcing, there are advantages and disadvantages along with a process that is followed when choosing a company to work with.…

    • 3173 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Concept Fan

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Outsourcing not only brings cost advantages but can also improve the efficiency of business operations. Outsourcing providers with the right expertise and experience can actually help streamline business processes and contribute to the bottom-line.…

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    First, many researchers agree on the fact that by handing over noncore activities to a trusted third party, a company can concentrate on activities central to its value proposition and enlarge its competitive positioning . Second, outsourcing in general is held toward one of the main goals as cost savings. The special necessity arises when a certain resource, either human or equipment resources, is not needed full time, or the efforts to obtain the resource cannot be justified. Third, by outsourcing companies have the option to access to highly qualified personnel, who may not be available to the client organization and fully exploit the suppliers’ investments, innovations, and specialist capabilities. Fourth, an important reason for outsourcing consideration is achievement of an improvement in performance that the outsourcer company might offer due to economies of scale. Fifth, flexibility is the clarification reason for outsourcing for many companies. Outsourcers’ contracts and the jobs of their employees depend on the degree of flexibility to reveal changing business…

    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays