Offshoring, Outsourcing and Production Fragmentation

Offshoring, Outsourcing and Production Fragmentation
Author: Mariusz-Jan Radło
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2016-03-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 113757125X

In this book, Radlo increases understanding of offshoring, outsourcing and international production fragmentation, and explains the impact of this phenomenon on the economies and enterprises. Key features include a comprehensive theoretical explanation of offshoring and outsourcing at both macroeconomic and microeconomic level, as well as an explanation of practical consequences of the mentioned phenomenon for the development of the global economy, national economies, concrete industries and enterprises. Unlike other publications, which are often characterized by narrow management or a macroeconomic approach to the analysis of offshoring and outsourcing, Radlo's text offers real insight into the global impact of production fragmentation.

International Fragmentation of Production

International Fragmentation of Production
Author: Nobuaki Yamashita
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages: 189
Release: 2010-01-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 184980723X

Using state-of-the-art econometric tools, this book examines the implications of international fragmentation of production for the performance of the Japanese manufacturing industry.The impact of the ongoing process of international fragmentation of production and outsourcing has become a highly contentious issue in developed economies such as the US and Japan. Concerns about deindustrialisation and large-scale job losses - 'the export of jobs' have generated a political backlash against multinationals and globalisation. Using detailed data from Japanese multinationals this book rigorously analyses the Japanese experience and compares and contrasts it with the experience of US manufacturing. The study finds no empirical evidence that expansion of multinational activities in foreign countries produces job losses in the home country. Indeed, when demand induced indirectemployment effects are taken into account the increased profitability of Japanese firms is likely to have increased overall employment in Japan. However, the shift of labour intensive activities to low wage economies associated with the international fragmentation of production generates adjustment pressures and a structural shift in favour of skilled workers in Japanese manufacturing.

Production Fragmentation and Outsourcing

Production Fragmentation and Outsourcing
Author: Ronald W. Jones
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009
Genre:
ISBN:

Globalization has its detractors as well as supporters. Concerns have been expressed about the greater ease of fragmenting the production process so that more parts can be outsourced to a variety of countries. Highly developed regions worry about the possibility of greater unemployment or lower unskilled wage rates. Less developed regions are concerned that they may not possess a comparative advantage in the service link activities that promote fragmentation. The paper discusses these issues, with special emphasis on India and China.

Fragmentation

Fragmentation
Author: Sven W. Arndt
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2001-02-08
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0191589063

"Fragmentation" is a term used in this volume to describe cross-border component specialization and production-sharing. Examination of recent trade data suggests that offshore sourcing of parts and components, as well as offshore assembly, are assuming an increasing role in the world economy. The theoretical implications of this type of specialization are examined in several chapters with the aid of both Ricardian and Heckscher-Ohlin trade models. Production is first decomposed ("fragmented") into its constituent parts and activities, and then it is at this level that factor-intensities and technologies are calibrated. The implications of intra-product specialization and component trade are investigated under conditions of free, restricted, and preferential trade. The role of multinationals is explored and the importance of cross-border service-links among component activities is examined. Overall, extension of the principle of comparative advantage beyond products to the realm of parts and components is welfare-enhancing. Industries take advantage of offshore sourcing in order to reduce costs and increase competitiveness. Component specialization offers new and additional opportunities for the exploitation of scale economies. Across a broad range of conditions, it raises output and employment. Its effects on wages are spelled out. Trade between advanced, high-wage and developing low-wage countries is an obvious candidate for the two-way application of component specialization. The empirical part of the volume presents an evaluation of new data which allow the separation of trade in components and in final products. It also provides assessments of the role of component specialization in the trade of several countries and regions. In addition to their relevance for trade theorists and country specialists, the studies collected in this volume have interesting implications for the conduct of trade policy. They contradict claims that trade with low-wage countries must be welfare-reducing and they suggest new approaches to industrialization and economic development.

Fragmentation in International Trade

Fragmentation in International Trade
Author: Shailey Dash
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2006
Genre:
ISBN:

The outsourcing boom being observed in India is actually a part of a much bigger worldwide phenomenon of international fragmentation in production and trade. Outsourcing of manufacturing parts has been going on for quite some time, whereas outsourcing of services is a relatively recent phenomenon enabled by the huge reduction in costs of telecommunication and computerization. A key question that arises is whether there is any intrinsic difference in the nature of services outsourcing compared to manufacturing since both represent international trade in intermediates and both essentially take place to arbitrage international differences in costs. This paper explores the inherent difference between outsourcing of services and manufactures theoretically. Both services and manufacturing outsourcing are modeled in at the individual firm level and an attempt is made to identify and conceptualize differences and similarities in the factors underlying outsourcing of services and manufacturing. This would help determine the kind of scenarios in which services versus manufacturing outsourcing would occur and their economic impact.

Technology and Production Fragmentation

Technology and Production Fragmentation
Author: Teresa C. Fort
Publisher:
Total Pages: 54
Release: 2016
Genre: Communication
ISBN:

This paper provides direct empirical evidence on the relationship between technology and firms' global sourcing strategies. Using new data on U.S. firms' decisions to contract for manufacturing services from domestic or foreign suppliers, I show that changes in firm use of communication technology between 2002 to 2007 can explain almost one quarter of the increase in fragmentation over the period. The effect of firm technology also differs significantly across industries; in 2007, it is 20 percent higher, relative to the mean, in industries with production specifications that are easier to codify in an electronic format. These patterns suggest that technology lowers coordination costs, though its effect is disproportionately higher for domestic rather than foreign sourcing. The larger impact on domestic fragmentation highlights its importance as an alternative to offshoring, and can be explained by complementarities between technology and worker skill. High technology firms and industries are more likely to source from high human capital countries, and the differential impact of technology across industries is strongly increasing in country human capital.

Labour Market Effects of International Fragmentation of Production

Labour Market Effects of International Fragmentation of Production
Author: Ebel Berghuis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 37
Release: 2013
Genre:
ISBN:

In this era of globalization the traditional Ricardian theory of trade in products governed by comparative advantages is replaced by a modern theory of trade in tasks. Tasks are outsourced to those places in the world where the lower production costs outweigh the additional transaction costs associated with coordinating the tasks. The labour market consequences of this outsourcing of tasks is a major concern, both for the country that outsources tasks and for the country to which tasks are outsourced. This paper discusses the labour market effects of outsourcing in the Netherlands using a survey amongst human research officers and in depth-interviews with the strategic management of seven industrial companies. The interviews and survey make clear that a major motive for outsourcing is to organize production in such a way that total production costs are minimized. More outsourcing requires more coordination but the reduction of costs due to producing at a cheap location outweigh the increase in transaction costs so that total production costs fall and productivity increases. However, it brings about a change in the composition of jobs in the outsourcing country: less workers are engaged in sheer production jobs, but more workers have transaction jobs. The net effect on total employment is uncertain, but our survey and interviews show that outsourcing should not necessarily be associated with a loss of jobs.

The Factory-free Economy

The Factory-free Economy
Author: Lionel Fontagné
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 383
Release: 2017
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 019877916X

An economic analysis of de-industrialization that considers the ongoing transformation of the industrial economies and the consequences for economic policy.

Harnessing Production Networks

Harnessing Production Networks
Author: Aekapol Chongvilaivan
Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
Total Pages: 149
Release: 2011
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 981431126X

This book provides complete, yet non-technical, analyses of production fragmentation effects and thus targets a wide range of readers - including academics, researchers, policy-makers, students, entrepreneurs, and anyone who is interested in this subject. It investigates the economic impacts of production fragmentation in Southeast Asia with a focus on Thailand's experience as an emerging global hub of fragmentation and outsourcing. This elucidates new evidence in connection with production, industrial organizations and labour economics theories, providing interesting insights for formulating industrialization and labour development policies.

International Fragmentation

International Fragmentation
Author: Anshu Saxena Arora
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 166
Release: 2016-09-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 3319338463

This book addresses the increased fragmentation and internationalization of production. It explores how concurrent business transformations in manufacturing and marketing impact global and developing economies, and how supply chain initiatives and information sharing impact overall organizational performance. It further connects marketing and advertising as an important link between organizations and its partners; education as a bridge between developing and developed world economies; and growth as a long-term objective of increasing integration at the regional and global level. Through a series of case studies, scholars across the US and France contribute chapters on the manufacturing, marketing, and internationalization of luxury fashion brands, music advertising, the growth of Amazon, and the business landscapes in India, China, Africa, and North Korea. The book provides academic libraries, international business scholars, graduate students, and policy makers with insights and opportunities that enable firms to achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace.