To Outsource Or Not To Outsource?

Outsourcing in business and colleges

In some circles, outsourcing is a dirty word no one likes to hear.  In others, it is a way of business, and life, some cannot survive without.  No matter how you look at it, and no matter how it affects our lives, everyone, to a certain extent, outsources.  It may be your landscaper who takes care of all aspects of your lawn to keep it green and fresh.  That painter you may have hired to spruce up a few rooms in your house, or even the once a week maid service.  Of course businesses operate on a larger scale and contract services such as building maintenance, telecommunications operations, human resources and pay, and of course IT operations.

Unfortunately, this trend seems to have trickled down into the academic arena.  There are many tutoring operations that can be found on the Web.  Some of the “tutoring” businesses are just pay for service areas where students give their “tutors” the assignment, a deadline, and boom they are at the head of their classes with no work accomplished.  The trend is really disturbing when it stretches into the area of programming and design because there are so many that will provide answers to intricate projects for a small price (15 to 40 dollars).  There are many foreign tutors making a profit that actually reside overseas while performing the work.  There is a always a discussion about why other countries are outpacing the United States in the technology arena and, although not the cause of the problem, this does contribute to the overall need to outsource.

I hate math and I’ll pay you to do it!

Let me be clear.  The “tutoring” is not actual tutoring at all.  You are paying someone to do your homework. There is usually no feedback as to how to tackle the problem; only a pay for answer system.  Moving from academics, to the real life business world, this teaches you nothing and you will NOT master your craft.  It only makes you a person who may very well hold a degree but with little to no skills on how to accomplish your job. These “Just Answer” entities are more than happy to do your homework but just ask yourself, “Is it really worth it?  If you are a programmer, these “tutors” will write the code for your program and then some.  I won’t delve on my personal experiences with homework helpers but if you ask you will definitely receive, for a small fee of course!

Outsourcing to India

Since we’re on the subject of programming, why do we need to outsource our programming jobs to India and other countries?  Do we not have some of the best technological minds in America…Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and the late Steve Jobs, just to name a few?  Instead of looking for cheap labor, the U.S. would greatly benefit from investing in our own talented individuals (lower unemployment rate and income re-invested back into our economy).  Honestly, you pay for what you get.  Yes, there are always going to be those who proclaim to do the same job as you but for less pay.  With the amount of money spent for a college education to become the best in our field, and the amount of extensive debt we acquire, it is a shame when our jobs are outsourced for cheap labor.  “Country” means investing in our own; building our resources to stay competitive in an ever-changing market. This is not saying that outsourcing is bad.  It only becomes so when we stop caring about those who have helped us become the best nation in the world in favor of the cheapest rate, for the most profit, with little regard for the quality of service.

Co-authored by Sharren R. Mckoy