Outsourcing and the US Presidential Election

IBA GroupMark Kobayashi-HillaryFor the past few US presidential elections, outsourcing offshore has been a major topic of debate. Usually the rhetoric revolves around which potential president will be tougher on offshoring than the other.At the last election there was talk of new tax hikes for companies purchasing services from other overseas companies – but of course nothing happened, this really is just electioneering.The USA remains the most powerful economy in the world even after the financial meltdown starting reshaping world finances. American products produced by companies such as Boeing and Microsoft sell all over the world. These products are also developed all over the world – business today is a global network of companies selling products and services across borders.The offshore outsourcing debate during US election campaigns has always been full of hot air, playing to a domestic audience that likes to think of American companies employing only American workers, but the world economy is no longer just concerned with domestic politics.If Dodge wants to sell cars outside the USA they need to employ people in the markets where they want to sell. If Microsoft wants to ensure their products work correctly across all the major markets of Asia, they need to employ people in those regions.And when it comes down to IT expertise, the USA has plenty of that – it’s the birthplace of every modern giant in technology from Google to Apple, but that doesn’t mean there is not technology expertise outside the USA. If an American company wants to employ the services of an IT expert outside of the USA then that’s their choice – it’s a straight decision based on competition.And the USA remains a powerhouse so they should welcome international competition – it will only help them to raise their own game.