Offshore outsourcing has developed tremendously in the past decade. Offshore outsourcing began almost strictly as finding cheaper manufacturing in a developing country. The most common users of offshore outsourcing was clothing and shoe companies where the production process is heavily reliant on manual labour, yet where there is low skill requirements. Companies that partook in offshore outsourcing were bombarded with negative press as news of the horrendous work conditions and wages became public knowledge. Unfortunately, the negative press has done little to deter companies from continuing to make use of offshore outsourcing in their business, and only a small handful of companies have shown clear efforts to improve the conditions at their offshore outsourcing facilities.
A more recent trend has seen offshore outsourcing be extended to more skilled, high tech jobs. Whenever I need technical support for my laptop, I am on the phone with someone at a desk in Bombay. When more technical jobs undergo offshore outsourcing, the companies have started receiving negative press as well. Companies are accused of taking the ‘good jobs’ out of the US in an effort to save a few dollars. However, the idea behind offshore outsourcing is that it helps develop skills in other countries. As they gain the capability to have a customer support centre in India, new technologies are expected to create more jobs that are more advanced. Thus, offshore outsourcing can serve to raise the standard of living both at home and abroad.
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