Outsourcing: Advantages and disadvantages

Outsourcing: Advantages and disadvantages Outsourcing, advantages and disadvantages Write a 2-3 page paper about outsourcing from the perspective of a multinational firm (Yes, this may be a hypothetical firm), be sure to answer the following questions: 1. What are the advantages of outsourcing? 2. What are the disadvantages of outsourcing? As defined by Chase et al. (2004, 372), outsourcing is an act of moving some of a firms internal activities and decision responsibilities to outside providers. Others define outsourcing as the procurement of the organizations products or services from external sources. Most definitions of outsourcing describe it as referring to allocating or reallocating business activities from an internal source to an external source. The two basic organizations that are involved in the outsourcing agreement are the client firm (the firm that outsources their internal business activities) and the outsource provider (the firm which provides outsourcing services to the client firm). The client firm outsources business activities such as services, manufacturing activities, tasks and jobs. Outsourcing in an international context refers to the outsourcing activity between nations or between boundaries of two or more countries. It includes global outsourcing which involves many international, external firms. Although outsourcing is a new concept, it has been practiced before and was referred to as subcontracting production activities. Outsourcing in an international context has been known as a major driving force in the business world. The Internet has allowed firms all over the world to provide services which were not possible before due to geographical limits. The Internet, together with the WorldWideWeb (WWW) has provided the connectivity that is necessary for the rapid growth of the outsourcing in an international context. Together with the growth of the Internet and WWW is the growth of international business. The passage of international trade agreements such as the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international trade zones that have been established throughout the globe, governments preparing and allowing the greatest expansion of international business, inexpensive computer and communication technology, have been major contributing factors in the enormous growth of international business. Is international outsourcing desirable or undesirable? There have been many views about outsourcing by multinational firms and a big debate is ongoing across the globe and people are affected by it. Business enterprises greatly support outsourcing but employee unions and politicians oppose it. There are many advantages and benefits that outsourcing can give to the home countrys business undertakings as well as to the country wherefrom the services are being provided. Enjoying cost leadership is one of the ways to enjoy sustainable advantage in this very competitive business world. The best way to achieve this is to outsource jobs. Another advantage of outsourcing is to have greater control over the quality of the goods because they can demand from the many suppliers the excellent products/services at lower cost. The client firm has the advantage of deferred payment thereby creating more opportunities to spend their funds wisely and make it more profitable. Outsourcing can also drive down wage and production costs. Another advantage of outsourcing to the client firm is that they dont need to buy raw materials, and stock them and other semi-finished products in the warehouse thereby saving on space, interest payments, godown charges, pilferage, and wastage. There is also a reduction of the number of people that are employed since the production is done in another place outside of the company. This situation also lowers the headache of union problems. The end result is that the client firm can focus on their core business matters and customer relationship management. Aside from bringing cost savings and an increase in profits to the client firm, outsourcing also brings benefits to the host country in terms of macro-economics. In Information Technology and other accounting tasks that are being outsourced, management of client firm will experience less capital expenses since they dont have to buy hardware and software, less management problems due to having the outsourcing company handle the staff providing the services. In terms of disadvantages of outsourcing, the main argument is the loss of jobs in the country of the client firm as the activities performed in the home country or organizations have been transferred to another location/s. Also, the culture clash that happens between the manufacturing client firm with those doing the outsourcing jobs results in each ones rejection of each ones culture. Another disadvantage is the decline in the labor rate and also, trade unionism gets a jolt due to outsourcing. The state has to pay allowances to the unemployed and all of these disadvantages create problems in society and to the industry side, quality may suffer in pursuit of cost reduction. Another disadvantage is that the client firm will have less managerial control so it will be harder to manage the outsourcing service provider than own employees. The client firm will also tend to depend on the outsourcing provider and if the provider goes out of business for whatever reason, then there is a need to go through a quick transition for another service provider, or find other means so that the business activities will not be disrupted and will go on as effective as it should be. Not all outsourcing can give benefits of cost reduction. Sometimes it can be costly too on the part of the client firm. Other matters related to confidentiality and security issues such as outsourcing processes related to payroll and other confidential information will be known by the outsourcing provider. It might be noteworthy to consider one comment of a business leader that in order to be successful in business, it is better to cut the wastage than to cut costs. Westerners have also expressed their dissatisfaction and unhappiness of the pronunciation and diction of the call centre agents in India and to add to this, there have been instances of leakage and improper use of customers data. Whether the multinational firm will outsource or not, there is nothing conclusive. The firm must perform a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis before deciding on outsourcing. Also, with outsourcing, the days of patriotism and cultural nationalism are gone but what replaces is the satisfaction of the firms own benefit of maximum profitability. References: http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=OYZ_-EiBCJkCpg=PA5lpg=PA5dq=outsourcing+of+an+international+firmsource=blots=HoR0S6CD22sig=cgd7SEV0V3Biegi0RiNSyXnsHnQhl=enei=RvGRSoKzFdOIkQXx_ti7Cgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3#v=onepageq=f=false http://www.ls-marketing.com/business/tips/advantages_and_disadvantages_of_outsourcing/ http://www.ictstandards.com/Advantages_And_Disadvantages_Of_Outsourcing.htm

Adr Clause for Learning Team Essay

An Alternative Dispute Resolution Clause will be created to identify what disputes are subject to resolution in learning teams. This clause will identify all provisions necessary to enable Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The process needed in order for the ADR to work effectively. ADR Clause To be able to handle disputes in the learning teams types of ADR to be used will be arbitration and peer review. The team needs to pick one member to be the leader of the team. This member will be the arbitrator and can make binding or non-binding final decisions for the group. By having a designated arbitrator this will assure things work effectively. If the group doesn’t feel the decision is what is best for the team they may have a peer review to try to come to a better agreement. The following disputes will enable ADR; the dispute to remove someone from the group, the time line for an assignment and who will be responsible for what portion of the assignment. For ADR to be used someone must complain about a specific issue. When they make the complaint the appointed leader/arbitrator may make the decision then allow for a peer decision. If the decision is based on wanting to remove someone from the group due to not attending required times to forum or not turning in assignments in on time. The arbitrator can recommend non-binding recommendation but it must be a  peer review decision. If members of the team are in disagreement on the due date of assignments then the arbitrator can make a binding decision on the due date of the assignment. The arbitrator can make the final decision if two people want to do the same portion of an assignment. The arbitrator can make a binding decision if even after a peer review an agreement can not be reached. Conclusion Through arbitration and peer review disputes can be handle and the best solution can be achieved. In learning teams those involved should be willing to come to an understanding and handle any disputes amicably.

Internal and External Conflicts

The Scarlet Letter: Internal and External Conflicts In the novel, the Scarlet Letter, there are four main characters, Hester Prynne, Pearl Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Prynne Chillingworth. The story goes; Hester Prynne committed the sin of adultery with the minister of their Puritan Community, Arthur Dimmesdale, the community then condemning her to wear the scarlet letter â€Å"A† for the rest of her natural life. Pearl Prynne being the product of the two sinners. In the moment, when Hester is completing the first part of her punishment, her long lost husband, Roger Prynne Chillingworth, arrives.Not wanting his arrival acknowledge Roger replaces his maiden name for Chillingworth. This situation creates a whole plot of conflicts both external and internal in all of the four main characters. All main characters in the novel interact to create these conflicts, and the community is as well involved in these conflicts. Hester Prynne is pointed out as the protagonist/heroin e of the novel. Being one of the main characters in the story she had many conflicts. One internal conflict of hers would be the embarrassment and the realization of her present and future. In chapter 2 paragraph 22 it states, â€Å"Could it be true? she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and shame were real. Yes! – these were her realities, – all else had vanished. † In this quote she realized that everything happening to her was in fact the real deal. Stating the obvious of course, but she had just been in prison and had the birth of her child! This is an internal conflict because this does have her dealing with the pain in her heart of wearing the symbol â€Å"A† or taking care of a child with the father unknown to the public.This leading to another internal conflict for Madame Prynne, that being having to raise little Pearl all on her own. Living the life of a single m other is quite difficult during that time and in a Puritan Community. Considering how people of the settlement react to Hester’s given situation, and how she does not give the father of Pearl a name to the community. This is an internal conflict because Hester is emotionally hurt on raising the product of two as a single mother. She has to face the community by herself for the first few years of the situation. Hence an external conflict for Ms.Prynne with her own community. The Puritans had isolated her apart from everyone else and had judged her since the moment she had stepped out of the prison doors. Her own peers were judging her for the sin she had done, as if they were not sinful themselves. Yet they judged someone they used to socialize and talk to as dear friends. Friends of hers would think her punishment as injustice that she deserved more than a three hour standing and the natural life bearing of the scarlet letter. The judging of her entire community had caused he r to become isolated, leading to be socially inactive.The scarlet letter was a reminder of all this conflict. Hester also had an external conflict with her husband, Roger Chillingworth. This being how while standing on the platform of the pillory, spotted her husband and the physical body language winced at the look, showing the tension brought on by the first thought â€Å"stranger†. Terror had coursed through her at the sight of him! Hester Prynne dealt with her internal and external conflicts quite discreetly, made it seem as if she was okay, but really wasn’t emotionally. Pearl Prynne is the outcome of the sin committed.As a young child, she too also had conflicts to deal with. An internal conflict of young Pearl would have to deal with how she was born and how she is being raised. A quote to follow that statement would be in chapter 6 paragraph 1, â€Å"We have as yet hardly spoken of the infant, that little creature whose innocent life had sprung†¦ out of t he rank luxuriance of a guilty pleasure. † This quote also coincides with an external conflict as well, the conflict being on how the society considers her a â€Å"demon child† or â€Å"elf-child witch†.She was born in a prison, and is being raised in a cottage that is nowhere near the village where all the other children grow up. When people call her such things, she does hear, so this hurts her emotionally and makes this an internal conflict for she must deal with the feelings of being different and judged by others. Since she is isolated from that part of a normal childhood, her only friend in the novel growing up is her mother. This being another internal conflict because she grew knowing her mother always wears the scarlet letter, and is in a certain community that has rules about women.Now in the novel, chapter 17, Hester takes off a garment that covers her hair and removes the scarlet letter from her bosom. Pearl seeing this throws a tantrum for her mother to undo this doing. Causing a major internal conflict of how Pearl sees her mother and dealing with what her mother’s symbols stand for. Pearl mocks her mother for that. There’s an external conflict created by Pearl towards Dimmesdale for when he is conversing with Hester in the forest and he dwells for a kiss, but Pearl refrains. Pearl is a strange child, for she knows something must be going on.Roger Prynne Chillingworth is the antagonist of the novel. His conflicts would seem different than the other main characters’ conflicts. For instance one internal conflict of his would be his thoughts of revenge. Chillingworth has this monomaniacal desire for revenge on the â€Å"unknown† father. His plans were dedicated to finding out who the father was, and he always had an eye out for Dimmesdale though. His thoughts of revenge then turned to thoughts of evil and madness. Evil then being another internal conflict created within Chillingworth.For example in cha pter 10 paragraph 3 it states, â€Å"This man†¦ pure as they deem him, – all spiritual as he seems, – hath inherited a strong animal nature from his father or his mother. Let us dig a little further in the direction of this vein! † This provides emphasizes on Chillingworth going an extra mile to fully satisfy his needs of torturing Dimmesdale with the truth. With this information this kind of gives Chillingworth a â€Å"devil-like figure† in this novel. An external conflict to support the â€Å"devil-like figure† would be his dabbling in natural chemicals and medicine.Even though it seems as harmless as a puppy or kitten it does kill. Naturally that was his cause of death in the end. A further approach to an external conflict would be the one referring back to when Hester was on the pillory. The great tension of their eye contact is a ball buster, and when he touches his lips with a finger verifying her silence, it physically shows he would ha ve a problem with her speaking up of his presence. Arthur Dimmesdale is the minister who commits adultery with Hester Prynne.This is at upmost worst position he can be in, considering that he is a minister of a Puritan community. An internal conflict that he must deal with is his guilt. Throughout the novel, he must watch Hester suffer through the public humiliation and feels guilty that he has left her all alone in raising Pearl. He is guilty of sin, but had not paid the price by the magistrates for he did not tell. He dealt with this guilty another way, which leads to an external conflict. The external conflict being he hurt himself physically to let out the guilt and basically punished himself.For instance in chapter 23 paragraph 23 it says, â€Å"With a convulsive motion he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed! But it were irrelevant to describe that revelation. For an instant the gaze of the horror-stricken multitude was concentrated on the gh astly miracle; while the minister stood†¦, as one who, in the crisis of acutest pain, had won a victory. † This emphasizes the external conflict and internal because he was one full of guilt had come out and finally revealed the truth to the rest of his parishioners, which he could not do in the beginning.Hence an external conflict with the community. When Dimmesdale would try and attempt to tell the Puritans, it would backfire because all of them thought so highly of him, especially when he said he was not perfect and had done things that weren’t so likely of their Lord. Showing how much respect they have for him, but for so long Dimmesdale had kept it in they were all so shocked at his sin in the end. Then explaining another internal conflict that Dimmesdale has, which is how much of a coward and weak he really.He had so many opportunities to tell the truth and speak out, but never took them because he was afraid of what might happen. In one way it could be that he did it to protect Hester and Pearl, but in another way it would seem quite selfish he did it to protect himself. On the whole, every character had to deal with their conflicts both internally and externally. For Hester and Pearl was to be treated differently from the community. For Roger Chillingworth it was revenge and his relationship with Hester. For Arthur Dimmesdale was dealing with his guilt. Most of the conflicts however did coincide with other main characters.Santos, Eliana The Scarlet Letter Essay: Internal and External Conflict Work Cite 1. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Mineola, N. Y. : Dover Publications, Inc. , 1994. â€Å"Could it be true? †¦ she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and shame were real. Yes! – these were her realities, – all else had vanished. † (Hawthorne 41) â€Å"We have as yet hardly spoken of the infant, that little creature w hose innocent life had sprung†¦ out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty pleasure. (Hawthorne 61) â€Å"This man†¦ pure as they deem him, – all spiritual as he seems, – hath inherited a strong animal nature from his father or his mother. Let us dig a little further in the direction of this vein! † (Hawthorne 89) â€Å"With a convulsive motion he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed! But it were irrelevant to describe that revelation. For an instant the gaze of the horror-stricken multitude was concentrated on the ghastly miracle; while the minister stood†¦, as one who, in the crisis of acutest pain, had won a victory. † (Hawthorne 175)

The Increase Of Service Member Suicides - 954 Words

In discussion of suicide, one controversial issue has been the increase of service member suicides. The Department of Defense: Suicide Event Report, states that 269 active and reserved military personnel have committed suicide in 2014. Majority of these incidents found that most victims were Caucasian male, under the age of 30, with a High School diploma and a rank between E1-E9. The most common methods used were by firearm (68.3%) and by asphyxiation/hanging (24.9%). The Department of Defense states that majority of the firearms used were not military-issued. In addition, 1,126 service members attempted suicide. Unlike others, the majority of these members attempted suicide by alcohol and drug overdose. Furthermore, the suicide rate of active service members in 2014 were 19.9 per 100,000 and 21.9 per 100,000 with reserved service members. In comparison with 2012, the year 2014 saw a 3% decrease for active service members. However, in 2014 reserve service members had a rate 21.9, whe reas in 2012 reserve service members had a rate 19.3, a 2.6% increase. 252 of these members were male and only 17 were female. 93 of these suicides were between the ages of 20 and 24 and steadily decreased with age. 174 only attained a high school diploma. 141 of these service members were married and 104 were never married. Out of 269 suicides, 116 were done in their own residence. The Department of Defense reports that only 74 service members spoke to someone regarding their suicidal thoughtsShow MoreRelatedThe Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention For American Veterans Act Essay1523 Words   |  7 PagesOn February 12, 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act (Clay Hunt Act) that will work towards expanding and allowing for greater efficiency and coherence within The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health services and suicide prevention programs. 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