[LEKCJA ANG.] Moving backwards

9 czerwca 2015

The topic for today is „inshoring”.

Task 1.
Read the text below to get the general idea:

It seems that contemporary America is making now a U-turn or at least one step back in its economy. For many years American business advisors have advocated offshoring as the best cost-cutting solution to the majority of financial problems of American companies, but at present the situation has changed considerably. Instead of relocating businesses and services to cheaper places in Europe, China or India, the USA is currently moving its business activities back to America.

As the opposite of offshoring, inshoring (e.g. the outsourcing of employment domestically) is at present becoming more and more popular across American homeland. It means that, instead of choosing to go overseas and losing jobs on national markets, American companies are more willing to entrust their core-operation processes to professionals in their own country. On one hand, inshoring ensures the use of local talent, knowledge and resources, on the other hand, it enables proper management along with cost effective work. Moreover, a successful implementation of inshoring is directly related to lowering unemployment rates. In addition, inshoring offers better proximity with the enterprise, and therefore helps establish long-term relations with its clients. Thanks to inshoring, monitoring business becomes much easier in comparison to overseeing work in a distant country or even abroad. And finally, conducting business seems less complicated due to cultural or time-zone differences.

American experts believe that the USA has lost more than 150.000 technology jobs to offshoring since 2000, and it is high time they were brought back to America. According to economists, offshoring contributes both to instability and waste, not to mention the poor quality of products and lengthy delivery times. It is said that inshoring helps balance state and local budgets along with strengthening the national industrial base and skilled workforce. On the whole, inshoring, also referred to as reshoring, seems to be the most desirable and beneficial option to consider not only for the American but also European economy.

Task 2.
Study the text carefully and use the words from the box in the correct form to complete the sentences below:

1. A new team leader has recently been appointed to ……………..… the new project in India. His job contract will terminate in two years time.

2. According to scientists stress is a …………….….. factor in many serious illnesses and medical conditions.

3. Nowadays, it is ………………… for many business entities to keep maintenance costs as low as possible.

4. Leaders of trade unions strongly …………………… the need for immediate actions and payrises when they met with the Board last Wednesday.

5. Among other issues, the summit will focus on advantages and disadvantages of ………………..… not only in America but in Europe as well.

6. The director of HR department ……………………… with the task of finding a new finance manager for the company within a few forthcoming weeks starting from now.

7. In times of economic crisis …………………..… business overseas seems a well-founded option for many companies.

8. The new tax on ………………… fuels (gas and electricity), which was introduced by the government last year, was supposed to bring additional income to the budget, but in fact it proved to be a complete failure.

9. If you have any queries concerning shipping and packaging, you can always check the ………………..… terms in the contract.

10. It is believed that the entire ……………….… process will take at least a few months and it will consume a lot of resources.

Task 3.
Watch the video „CBS Evening News…” and tick (√) the sentences below which are correct according to the recording:

CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley – Fla. company bringing call center jobs back to U.S.

1. President Obama encourages American companies to start inshoring. …..

2. President Obama wants the Congress to introduce a new plan. …..

3. Admin Tiffany is currently working from home. …..

4. Admin struggles with gas expenses and the traffic. …..

5. Janet is willing to compete with young people in corporations. …..

6. Both women are a part of the inshoring program in America. …..

7. It is hard to repair a snowblower in India. …..

8. Angela Seldon is very successful in bringing call center jobs back to America. …..

9. Solving a problem offshore requires on average 2.3 phone calls. …..