The World is Flat

Christopher Columbus proved to the world that the world was indeed round after all. With today's information highway enabling to connect everyone around the world, it seems more and more that the world is now flat. This is what Thomas L. Friedman points out in his book entitled "The World is Flat". In his book, Friedman discusses the globalization of the world, with many jobs from America and Europe being outsourced or offshored to countries like India and China. Working in the IT field for many years, I have seen how international companies have been doing this.

One of the companies I used to work for had been outsourcing its development long before Friedman's chronicles. As a result, the transition period and efficiency with its outsourcing has been exemplary. So should everyone follow in order to save money? Not so fast my friend. Other companies that have been recently adapting this strategy are struggling mightily.

The company I am working for has outsourced part of its development in China. China is a country rich in culture, with hard working and smart people. China is everywhere, even in Africa now. Yet, in the Chinese culture, people are afraid to lose face. Well, at least in this Chinese branch of my current company.

When an engineer of that branch has any question or problem, instead of asking their Chinese colleagues for answers and lose face and look like complete idiots, they rather get stuck and bogged down with their problem until it becomes urgent. When that stage has been reached, they request for information back to Europe or America. But by the time the information is found in Europe or America, several weeks or months have gone by. Eventually, the European and American management discovers that the answer was back in its Chinese branch.

This has been going on for over a year. Many of the questions the Chinese engineers have, can be found right next to his or her neighbor. But because they are afraid to lose face ... So now it has come down to where my company needs to deliver an entire system in time. As a result, the development that was being outsourced is coming back to its roots.

Of course, this is probably an exception to the successful outsourcing so many international companies have accomplished. It just takes time to obtain the efficiency and quality work anticipated. Like wine, things only get better with time.