Another Student, 12345

Oral Exam Proposal  

Is Offshoring a Boon or a Bane for Developed economies?                                                           

       IBM's recent announcement that it intends to hire 10,000 of 15,000 new employees outside of the United States has unleashed a storm of protest. For several years manufacturing jobs in developed nations have been lost as production has moved to China, and now white-collar workers are becoming increasingly worried that in a similar fashion service-sector jobs will be lost 'offshore' to India. Furthermore, this development could increasingly affect employees with a high level of training or education, who had up to now considered their positions to be secure. Although many politicians seek protectionist remedies for what they see as a problem, some economists contend that the benefits of such offshoring will outweigh its disadvantages. An important question in this regard is then whether a country such as Germany should encourage offshoring or seek to impose restrictions on it.

• Why and how has the use of offshoring been continuously increasing since the 1960s?
• Does Offsoring result in overall job losses?
• Does Offshoring make a country dangerously dependent on foreign suppliers?
• Can the long-term and short-term benefits of offshoring be compared?
• Are there winners and losers from offshoring?
• What could be some of the advantages and disadvantages of offshoring for a particular company?