Information Systems, Offshore Outsourcing, and Relevance in the Business School Curriculum

Abstract

Offshore outsourcing has been a growing phenomenon in recent years. Rarely will an IT professional pick up a trade publication or journal without some article relating to outsourcing or offshore outsourcing. This in turn raises the question for IS educators—what should we be doing to better prepare our graduates for a future where offshore outsourcing is a reality? This chapter looks at the following topics as they relate to IS curriculum matters for outsourcing: Offshore outsourcing and success factors, the skills needed to effective manage offshore outsourcing, a look at offshore outsourcing and the IS2002 model curriculum, suggested changes to IS2002 to incorporate offshore outsourcing education, and what skills from IS2002 are vital in preparing students for the future.