Is Outsourcing Immoral?

[prateekvishwa]

Not everyone supports the practice of outsourcing. Many thinks that you are giving jobs outside the country & this has negative impact on economy.. Just curious if this practice is really immoral??

[vlado]

I don't think that anyone can answer this question definitively. You can argue 'for' and 'against' forever.

Best regards,
Vlado

[prateekvishwa]

I don't think that anyone can answer this question definitively. You can argue 'for' and 'against' forever.

Best regards,
Vlado

What is your opinion?

[glorybound]

Tough one. I work in a state that people try to keep work as local as possible, so I'm a little fortunate. I read about the iPad and about how it couldn't exist without cheap labor.

[prateekvishwa]

Tough one. I work in a state that people try to keep work as local as possible, so I'm a little fortunate. I read about the iPad and about how it couldn't exist without cheap labor.

In one of your very old post, i noticed you have shown willingness to outsource modelling work. So does that means you are optimistic about it?

[glorybound]

When I am busy I do. Again, a tough one. About a decade ago I worked for a high rise architect in Chicago. We couldn't compete without farming the drafting overseas. We held out as long as we could, but since everyone else was outsourcing, we had to, too. Personally, I wouldn't outsource unless I had to, and then if I could, I would keep it local.

In one of your very old post, i noticed you have shown willingness to outsource modelling work. So does that means you are optimistic about it?

[vlado]

What is your opinion?

The same process of taking work away from people and moving it to other places has been happening since a very long time. I don't mean necessarily moving work to other countries, but off-loading work to machines and computers as well. When it is about people getting jobs to do, this is good for them. When it involves people losing jobs, it is sad. I suppose it depends on which end of the stick you get.

Best regards,
Vlado

[Neilg]

I don't think it's immoral, but we don't outsource for the same reason we don't hire freelancers - they don't make things the way we like, and to get them up to speed would take so much time we'd rather invest in a local long term hire. If you can deal with inconsistent quality, time differences for getting things delivered, not actually being there to manage them and maybe getting code/assets with all sorts of nonsensical naming, more power to you.

[glorybound]

I guess we need to define, "outsourcing". It probably means different things to different people. An architectural firm outsourcing their renderings probably makes sense; most don't do enough work to employ someone full time. Now, they can outsource locally or across the globe; it's still outsourcing. I think we'll be seeing a lot more freelancer in all markets; it's going to become more "normal" as time goes by. Dell outsourcing tech support to India, to make more money, might be questionable. Or, outsourcing to make the board of directors more money might be wrong. Google and Apple have billions overseas to avoid American taxes, to me, is Corporate greed.

[prateekvishwa]

An architectural firm outsourcing their renderings probably makes sense; most don't do enough work to employ someone full time.

I am a fulltime freelancer. When i get projects i get too many at a time that i have to say no & then there is a time when i have no work at all, like at present .. all this is so inconsistent. I tried contacting freelancers but then i realized it is more of a headache because good artist charge more or less the same that i do.. And when edit comes from clients, i gets sandwiched between freelancer & client.. I am trying to figure out my future course of action. May be to make a team and organize things in such a way that i dont refuse work at times when i am busy but main challenge is to handle slow time..

When i did little research about outsourcing i noticed different business models on which different MSC's are working. It is definitely not just that you get a project inquiry, you quote & after getting approval you do work & get paid.. There is some kind of partnership, like annual profit sharing etc.. because getting paid on project to project basis is very much like outsourcing to freelancers where i am a freelancer.. & there is full chance of my client getting sandwiched. Just tying to figure out, what is that arrangement which works well between client & MNCs .

we don't outsource for the same reason we don't hire freelancers - they don't make things the way we like

I noticed what Neilg said above. It is definitely a point of concern from a client perspective but i wonder why a freelancer will mess up with client when he knows he is going to get kicked if he will not follow the guideline..

[glorybound]

Welcome to freelance work. You have to take the good with the bad and roll with it. Freelancing is like the stock market, you have to look at it over time and not day-to-day. For the past six months I was fortunate to have one come in days after one was complete. I think the down time is a reason to freelance. We work 80 hours a weeks for a month and then a good week off; it's a dream job.