Outsourcing is the hottest topic in business, and it will likely stay that way. Managers, workers, executives, and almost anyone else involved in any large business will probably have to deal with it one day, in one way or another. Outsourcing is a business issue first and foremost, but it's also a political, personal, and cultural issue that many people, not least managers and executives, find difficult to fully understand.
Outsourcing documents the theory, facts, myths, benefits, and costs of outsourcing and gives managers the information they need to implement an outsourcing program that will help their business the most and hurt their employees the least. Bringing together noted academics, corporate leaders, and outsourcing practitioners, the book covers all the major topics in the outsourcing debate, but also presents expert guidance for business leaders dealing with the practical side of this global issue:
- What outsourcing is and is not
- Which companies can benefit from it
- Incentives and implications
- Notable successes and failures
- Outsourcing for small and large companies
- Communicating about outsourcing
- Outsourcing terminology
- And much more
Outsourcing is here to stay, whether you think that's a good thing or not. But there is one thing that's unquestionably bad for your business—doing outsourcing badly. A poorly planned initiative will not only fail to return expected economic benefits, but likely also cost your company in terms of its image with customers and employees. The simple fact is that today's businesses need to outsource to survive, but if they outsource poorly they might just die anyway.
With increased competition and rising workforce demands, the question for many businesses isn't whether they should outsource, but what and how to outsource. In Outsourcing, staffing and human resources specialist Nicholas C. Burkholder presents a comprehensive overview of outsourcing's theory, costs, benefits, and implications—political and otherwise.
With complete coverage of outsourcing theory, this book focuses mainly on the practical. With a wealth of facts and a raft of real-world examples, Outsourcing is intended to give business leaders the knowledge and understanding they need to make good, informed decisions on what, when, and how to out-source. Examples of noted outsourcing successes and failures show leaders what works and what doesn't, while up-to-date economic and labor market data prepare leaders for post-outsourcing implications.
About the Author
NICHOLAS C. BURKHOLDER is President of eStore Services and the founder and Trustee of Staffing.org. As a specialist in workforce selection and management, he has worked for such organizations as Johnson & Johnson, CIGNA, The Vanguard Group, and the U.S. Army. He is also the author of On Staffing: Advice and Perspectives from HR Leaders, from Wiley.
