a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by randomuser
randomuser  ·  3247 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: OUTSOURCING: A Smart Way of Innovating

I agree with everything you're saying here, and I don't think businesses are the enemy, there just happen to be a lot of situations that involve large businesses doing not the most upfront things to save, usually ceos/owners/presidents, money or increase profit by eliminating costs in various ways. I'm going to stick with my statements concerning outsourcing making perfect sense from a lot of standpoints, all of which happen to be on the business side and almost always/usually pertaining to costs/regulations. I just think that there is something to be said about keeping internal economy strong via keeping our assets here when possible.

I think from a business standpoint, outsourcing = 100% sense

However, from an ethical standpoint, 100% depends on the reason for the outsource.

So I wouldn't say that outsourcing is bad, but I would say it can be, and just the same as everything else, there are pro's and cons/cost vs reward/risks and benefits.





thenewgreen  ·  3247 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    there just happen to be a lot of situations that involve large businesses doing not the most upfront things to save, usually ceos/owners/presidents, money or increase profit by eliminating costs in various ways
-What, by your estimation is wrong with eliminating costs? Especially if it's done in a way that doesn't compromise your products integrity?

    I just think that there is something to be said about keeping internal economy strong via keeping our assets here when possible.
-Then, shouldn't you look at the policy makers that put restrictive regulations in place? Or the unions that make their own workers obsolete by insisting that unskilled laborers be paid exorbitantly or that they dictate what workers can and cannot do?

If you want to keep the assets/jobs in the US, then make the US a super friendly business climate. It's really that simple imo. Nobody wants to outsource work.

What's the scenario you envision where an owner/ceo has outsourced in a way that is despicable?

randomuser  ·  3246 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Depends on the reason for eliminating costs an the way you go about it. For instance, the owner of the corporation that owns my school argosy, claimed a $5 million income one year and a $15 million income the the next year. Meanwhile, firing almost all of his teachers and administrators and cutting down our studio hours from 24/7 to 12/5. Now we get to register on the phone with someone out of state, online with as system that barely works occasionally, or with an academic advisor over all 8 departments. Also, the studios we are supposed to work and do our projects in are constantly booked the first week of school so 3/4 of the students don't have the time they need or we're promise when being admitted.

As for the second part, partially with you but what about regulations that are for worker safety? That other countries just dgaf about. And the companies that are literally just outsourcing to avoid paying insurance and minimum wage? Like if you outsource and those workers can make the same type of living American workers would, that's pretty ethically sound. The thing is, mos of the big companies like Nike and coke turn to sweat shops and worker made an even shittier living than their American minimum wage counterparts, and there are no regulations to protect them when things go wrong.