No Foreign Accents
“I wish to not have anyone from India or any foreign country or anyone with an Indian accent or foreign accent continue handling my case,” says the caller from Pennsylvania. That quote appeared in a Wall Street Journal article on outsourcing and its effects on two disparate cultures: Indian and American.
Are there any advantages in outsourcing our tech jobs outside the USA? Wisdom says yes. Among the advantages are:
- More tech professionals to support our needs.
- More markets for our goods and services.
More Tech Professionals
There are roughly 6.6 billion people in the world today. Less than five percent (about 300 million) live in the United States. If we attempt to keep all technical jobs in the US, we are cheating ourselves out of 95% of the world’s technical talent!
In Wisdom’s experience, outsourcing works well. We serve our clients better when we solve hard problems, regardless of where the solution comes from. Our overseas partners get paid for participating on the team. Everybody wins.
More Markets
Every manufacturer worldwide wants to sell in the richest market in the world, currently the US. But we’re only five percent of the population… what a tiny market! If outsourcing raises the standard of living outside the US, we concurrently increase the market for the goods & services we have to offer. Again, everybody wins.
Henry Ford proved this theory with the creation of the first mass-produced automobile. Early 20th-century workers in Ford plants were paid more money than their peers in other factory jobs. As a result, they could afford to buy the cars they were producing, and America enjoyed a virtuous cycle of wealth creation. Imagine the world we could live in if the same cycle happened globally!
Admission of Bias
I will readily admit my bias toward outsourcing. Over the past twelve years, Wisdom Consulting Group has developed joint projects with people in Asia, Africa, North America, Europe, and the Carribean. We provide better service for our clients because we tap the best minds on the planet, no matter where they may be. And we solve problems that baffle our competitors. All parties are stronger because we work together.
Some in the technology industries complain about “jobs leaving the USA and going overseas.” They believe we need to erect artificial barriers to keep the jobs “at home”. Some of these arguments are explored further in The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. But the main point is this: A rising tide raises all ships. World economics is not a zero-sum game. Let the jobs go, and everybody wins.
2 Comments
Prof.PetroneApril 5, 2007
Your wish has no logical sense to your anger toward a foreign accent? Be reasonable! Ask yourself this question: Where you come from? Going back to your ancestors? You will discover that you are the product of an Ethnic group with an accent! Yes! I have an accent! It doesn’t matter the race! You are not any better then anybody else! This World came about as Our Creator intended to be ! A place to live in harmony with the rest of our environment! You and me are soul in passage to the eternity! The Accent is an endless passage of music perceptions that define our existence! to our eternity! I know your feeling ! I understand your frustration toward those with an accent! You don’t find your space among them because you become not productive to the World! as the Accent work hard to be on the top of the mountain. I am say to you “Stop ” using a thought of racism that you refuse to be a conquer of the World!! I am a victor! I want to be a conquer! of my World! So you do the same! The name of the game is ” Competition ” Tell me who is without any accent? I am sad against those whom consider them self : Puritan ” with no accent? I am disappointedly versus those individual who in fact shows their frustration in discriminating the Culture of the World. I am made because you don’t love the World and the Culture , yourself and the accent? I cannot go forward to the way of success because of your non reasonable thinking process! If you consider yourself without no accent. Well, let me tell You are lying to yourself and to the World! You are not give me the necessary space to go on with my life! I have something to offer to the World and I am proud of my accent and the Country of my America! I would give you the same opportunities if, my Nation that I com from is open to an American as Sign of Liberty and as a Symbol of an Eagle! open your mind? See the World from different angle and you will discover a better place for yourself!
It is interesting to note that my accent or any other accent is the product of America Quality! The choice is in your own hands! Ciao
Jovanny
Raymond T. HightowerApril 5, 2007
Good Morning Prof. Petrone-
Perhaps you were misled by the title of my blog post. I chose the title to draw people in to the discussion. If you read the article, you’ll see that I *agree* with you!
Best Wishes,
RTH
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