Othersourcing: technological outsourcing

Abstract

Purpose

Increasingly over the next decade corporate leaders will have to deal with the political and social fallout of othersourcing – the ability to have work done by robots and computer programs.

Design/methodology/approach

Provides examples of this othersourcing trend in every kind of business, and also in government, military, and non‐profit activities as well.

Findings

People will increasingly be on their own, in competition with software, robots, foreigners, newly engineered systems, unexpected competition, do‐it‐yourself customers and other independent contactors.

Practical implications

Employers should have a comprehensive othersourcing strategy that includes dealing with an increase in negative consequences.

Originality/value

Establishes othersourcing – a potentially massive shift of increasingly higher kinds of work to machines and software –as an even more disruptive trend than outsourcing.

Citation

Brown, A. (2007), "Othersourcing: technological outsourcing", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp. 47-49. https://doi.org/10.1108/10878570710717290