Outsourcing in a Business and Development Perspective

 Workshop organized by
, CBS and The Research Group for International Business Economics, Aalborg Universitet.

Background

Outsourcing, here understood as off shoring of business activities to firms in developing countries, is increasingly on the strategic agenda of Danish companies, and politically it is intensely discussed, what role outsourcing plays for Danish competitiveness and job creation. However the other side of the outsourcing discussion is that outsourcing creates unprecedented opportunities for developing countries in terms of integrating into the global economy, creating jobs, generating export, and upgrading capabilities of local firms and industries. However, the strategic challenges and possibilities of outsourcing for firms and industries in developing countries are rarely discussed in the academic as well as political debate. The Workshop “Outsourcing in a Business and Development Perspective”, will provide a number of researchers’ and companies’ view on, how outsourcing cooperation between Danish firms and firms in developing countries is structured, the possibilities and limitations of outsourcing cooperation with local firms in developing countries, as well as the learning and upgrading implications for firms and industries in developing countries of such outsourcing cooperation.

Objective

The objective of the Workshop “Outsourcing in a Business and Development Perspective” is to create dialogue between firms, organizations and academia to get a better understanding of the dynamics and effects of outsourcing activities in developing countries. The Workshop presentations and discussions will provide inputs to large Danida supported research project - ’Outsourcing for Development’ – which investigates the developmental consequences of Danish companies’ outsourcing co-operations in six countries in Asia and Africa (China, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Africa and Ghana). The project is carried out by a group of researchers at CopenhagenBusinessSchool and AalborgUniversity. The project builds on a previous project - ’Globalization, Competitiveness and Third World Enterprises’ – which focused on the development effects of Danish foreign direct investment in developing countries. 

Participants

Participants in the workshop will be Danish firms with outsourcing and/or equity based off-shoring activities in developing countries, researchers working with private sector development, and representatives from public institutions and business associations engaged in private sector development.

Registration

There are only a limited number of seats (30). Therefore it is necessary to register as a participant by contacting Mariene Ferguson, ma.ikl@cbs.dk. There is no fee for participation.

The Workshop will be conducted in English.