Offshore Outsourcing: A Delphi Study

Abstract Organizations examine offshoring — the organizational and technological ability to relocate specific tasks to another country and coordinate a geographically dispersed network of activities — as a business strategy toward globalization. The impacts of offshoring are highly controversial. This study used the Delphi technique to identify the positive and negative effects of offshoring on U.S. economy and workforce, and articulate a sustainable strategy to reduce the negative impacts. Managers and executives at several medium and large organizations in the Midwest region of the United States were involved. The four-phase study generated consensus among the respondents. Statistical analysis methods included a hierarchical cluster analysis, mean, median, mode, and percent of agreement calculations. A face-to-face discussion in phase 4 clarified some issues and helped the group as a whole to outline strategies for putting in place the essential elements of a framework to mitigate the negative impacts of offshoring.

[1]  J. B. Quinn,et al.  Outsourcing innovation the new engine of growth , 2000 .

[2]  A. Gokhale,et al.  Environmental Initiative Prioritization with a Delphi Approach: A Case Study , 2001, Environmental management.

[3]  B. Harte,et al.  The third time's the charm. , 2009, Journal of hospital medicine.

[4]  William R. King,et al.  Outsourcing and Offshoring: The New IS Paradigm? , 2005 .

[5]  A. Kakabadse,et al.  Trends in Outsourcing:: Contrasting USA and Europe , 2002 .

[6]  D. Dillman.  Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method, 2nd ed. , 2007 .

[7]  Ron Weber,et al.  Editor's comments: some implications of the year-2000 Era, dot-com Era, and offshoring for information systems pedagogy , 2004 .

[8]  Diana Farrell.  Offshoring: Value Creation Through Economic Change , 2005 .

[9]  P. Chisnall.  Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method , 2007, Journal of Advertising Research.

[10]  Murray Turoff,et al.  The Delphi Method: Techniques and Applications , 1976 .

[11]  Asli Demirgüç-Kunt,et al.  Financial and Legal Constraints to Firm Growth: Does Size Matter? , 2002 .

[12]  K. Sauvant.  The Win-Win-Win Challenge of Offshoring , 2004 .

[13]  Ben Shneiderman,et al.  Crisis and opportunity in computer science , 2005, CACM.

[14]  Measurement of Tourism Market Potential of Croatia by Use of Delphi Qualitative Research Technique , 2007 .

[15]  Freeman A. Hrabowski,et al.  Preparing Minority Scientists and Engineers , 2006, Science.

[16]  Ichiro Shinkai,et al.  Trends in Outsourcing , 2007 .

[17]  M L Katcher,et al.  Use of the modified Delphi technique to identify and rate home injury hazard risks and prevention methods for young children , 2006, Injury Prevention.

[18]  David L. Levy,et al.  Offshoring in the New Global Political Economy , 2005 .

[19]  Ilkka A. Ronkainen,et al.  A forecast of globalization, international business and trade: report from a Delphi study , 2005 .

[20]  P. Ghauri,et al.  Globalisation, economic geography and the strategy of multinational enterprises , 2004 .

[21]  A. Glyn.  The Assessment: How Far has Globalization Gone? , 2004 .

[22]  Allan Fisher,et al.  Unlocking the Clubhouse : Women in Computing by Allan Fisher , 2015 .

[23]  T. Beck,et al.  Financial and Legal Constraints to Growth: Does Firm Size Matter? , 2005 .

[24]  Susan M. Sorensen,et al.  Outsourcing, Offshoring, Nearshoring: What to Do? Whether You Outsource Locally or Globally, You're Still Responsible for Client Privacy , 2005 .

[25]  Edward F. McQuarrie,et al.  Focus Groups: Theory and Practice , 1991 .