Dissenting Opinions about Outsourcing - Essay Example

Dissenting Opinion about Outsourcing A critique on Stephen Andriole’s article Stephen Andriole’s article about Best Practices Technology Management may have been true at the time it was written but some of his arguments are no longer valid today. I said that some of his arguments are no longer valid today because the technology and outsourcing industry evolves so fast that what may be current today will be considered obsolete in a year or two. Some of his arguments are still valid while some are arguable and relative depending on what angle you are looking at.

The reason why some of his arguments were no longer valid today is because he contended that “no one really knows how many jobs might be lost” and being such, it is very questionable to present any findings. In 2009, the jobs that were lost to outsourcing may be difficult to quantify but Congressional studies last year has already quantified both the numbers of jobs and dollars lost to outsourcing abroad (Jackson 36-40). Also, his argument that more jobs were created in the technology industry due to outsourcing is flatly wrong because the financial crisis in 2010 hit the technology industry hard that many lost their jobs and along with it their homes.

Of course, Andriole did not know that the financial crisis will strike but still, it does not excuse his argument that it is still wrong. Andriole’s argument that companies outsource to focus on their core competency and to save on cost may be a hypothesis when he wrote the article four years ago but it is already a given today that companies outsource not just to focus on their competency but also to save on cost and become competitive. It is a business imperative that companies will outsource “to get access to expertise at a good price” as what Andriole have mentioned and that is wherever that may be, locally or globally.

This is no longer argued today because it is already a part of business reality. With regard to government’s responsiveness to technological change and the policy structure and educational system necessary to remain current and competitive is relative. I said relative because Andriole made a sweeping statement without inferring to any concrete study or figure that would correlate his statement. This is arguable because many academicians and politicians will tell that the best universities are still in the United States and we continue to fund cutting edge studies.

On the other hand, many will also say that US capability is diminished and that it is no longer responsive to the demands of the workplace. Many will cite the scores in Math and STEM assessment that US is no longer on top but somewhere in the middle. Both of these arguments have a degree of truth in it and Andriole should have cited concrete figures and facts to back his claim. Thus, his contention is arguable and actually depends on what data or source you are looking at. Finally, it is correct that that “offshoring between developed and developing countries are instensifying” as what Andriole contended but with regard to his contention that both parties are benefiting is again questionable.

Outsourced countries such as China are getting stronger while US economy is weakening that many are already considering getting the outsourced jobs back to the US. Work CitedJames K. Jackson. “Outsourcing and Insourcing Jobs in the U.S. Economy: Evidence Based on Foreign Investment Data”. Congressional Research Service. May 10, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32461.pdf [Accessed March 31, 2012]