Note on the Services Shift: Managing the Global Sourcing of Services

Most business people, pundits, and politicians in the U.S. and other developed nations have come to grips with the phenomenon of manufacturing jobs moving offshore: the process variously referred to as “outsourcing” or “offshoring.” But a far bigger wave of change is approaching the shores of those same developed nations: the globalization of services. Where are the jobs going? Which companies benefit—or could benefit? How exactly does the offshoring of services work? How do you “get in the game”? And what are the policy implications? This note answers all of these questions, and more, offering powerful insights for managers, public policymakers, and students alike.

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