Contents


Preface

The world has become more complicated with the rapid change in the global economic environment, and new times require new dynamics and active strategies to cope with fundamental questions. In this sense, two important instruments that can be used by organizations are outsourcing and offshoring. These organizational forms have become applicable as entrepreneurial tools and as consequences of the

The concept of outsourcing dates back to the 1940s, during the Second World War, when it emerged in the United States due to the war industry's need to concentrate on improving arms production in order to maintain the allies' supremacy. This industry passed on some activities supporting production to other firms providing services. However, only in the second half of the twentieth century was the concept put into practice in the service sector to stimulate organizations' profitability through subcontracting services. In addition, the offshoring phenomenon has contributed massive structural changes to organizations. Over the last decades, offshoring has fundamentally changed business strategies, processes, products, and services by deconstructing traditional ways of doing business. Therefore, outsourcing and offshoring emerge as strategic tools claiming to respond to current issues in the global economy, a real way to obtain a competitive advantage. These tools are an innovation in the service category allied

Outsourcing and offshoring are beginning to be common practices in organizations, focusing on the softest organizational structures and in this way significantly reducing fixed structural costs, whether in production, service provision, or human capital. However, choosing these instruments involves risks and uncertainties since they involve transaction costs between the parties, important matters related to resources and assets and efficient, trusting relations between the contracting and contracted firms. It is therefore essential to make a detailed analysis of these risks in parallel with

The importance of outsourcing and offshoring has been widely recognized in the literature, evidenced by the notable increase of relevant publications in the past years. Thus, this book studies the benefits and risks of these two organizational strategies. It also presents new perspectives about outsourcing and offshoring in

In Chapter 1, "Outsourcing: Overview and Trends" the authors present some general concerns and concepts about this system along with examples and arguments.

Chapter 2, "Outsourcing: State-of-the-Art in India and an Insight to Coal Mining Industry" examines the topics as outlined in its title and attempts to clarify the main

the benefits arising from these types of organizational mechanisms.

opportunities and threats caused by globalization.s

to the dynamics of core competences.

This book is structured into seven chapters.

challenges of outsourcing within the Indian context.

different contexts.
