Outsourcing is as controversial as ever in today's globalized world. But for all the noise about it in the media, whether reflecting the perspectives of labor, business, consultants, academics, employees, or protestors, there is far more emotion surrounding the benefits and drawbacks of the trend than there is common sense. Not only are these messages from different constituents polarizing, they are also confusing because they muddy the waters regarding corporate performance. Buffington clarifies the role of outsourcing in business today so that Americans can focus on something that really matters—real increases in productivity and competitiveness in a global economy. In most cases, he contends, neither outsourcing nor its close cousin, offshoring, are effective as a means to their intended end. Moreover, he points out, Americans focus a lot of negative energy on offshoring, not realizing that domestic outsourcing might be more harmful to our economy in the long run. Corporations lack awareness of this distinction, according to Buffington, and therefore they don't know which should be implemented in what circumstances. That ignorance is not only an obstacle for any company seeking to implement a successful outsourcing strategy, but it is also a dire threat to the long-term growth of the American economy. Buffington demonstrates that outsourcing often functions as an easy out for corporations that are reluctant to look instead at the root causes of their problems, whether low productivity, lack of innovation, or an unwillingness to invest in marketing, promotion, and sales. The reason that corporations aren't focusing on these core issues has a historical element as much as an evolutionary one within a global economy; the divisions today between workers and management are as sharp as they were back in the early 20th century, Buffington argues. But as much as we have to learn from the past about the impact of worker/management relations on worker productivity, we have even more to learn about all aspects of the productivity puzzle. Corporate productivity, or lack thereof, drives the success or failure of outsourcing or offshoring more than the act itself, according to Buffington. This book challenges business leaders to find their productivity and only then to make outsourcing decisions. This approach will work for corporations, consulting firms, outsourcers, and in the end, customers themselves. A more productive, worker-manager friendly business environment will lead to greater U.S. productivity, and therefore, more effective outsourcing/offshoring decisions.

Finally! A restoration guide with the kind of detail needed for a first class job. How to Restore Classic Farm Tractors is packed with hundreds of helpful full-color photographs, proven tips and techniques, and money-saving advice from restorers who know what works . . . and what doesn't. This guide will walk you step-by-step through the complete restoration of your tractor from disassembly to engine rebuild, from electrics to painting and final detailing. There's even a handy section on parts sources. So, no matter if you favor John Deeres, Fords, Farmalls, A-Cs, or Minnie-Mos, with Gaine's guidance you're well on your way to showing off your shiny "new" classic tractor! Tharran Gaines has specialized in agricultural writing for the past 25 years. He has written owners' manuals, repair guides, and sales brochures for most of the major tractor companies, such as ACGO's Allis-Chalmers, White, and Hesston lines.

An essential, pocket-sized manual for industrial craftspeople from a brand relied on for more than a century The AudelTM Industrial Trades Multi-Craft Reference Manual is aimed at the industrial mechanic, millwright, machinist, plumber, pipefitter, welder, carpenter, sheet metal mechanic, and other skilled craftspeople who need quick, no-nonsense access to dependable information—fast. Including up-to-date focus on "green" thinking and industrial sustainability, this handy, compact guide serves as an ideal on-the-job reference on topics such as pump facts, bearing information, motor facts, wood and carpentry, pipefitting, welding, blacksmithing, and much more. New Audel book from bestselling author Tom Davis Topics searchable by machine, device, or material Heavily illustrated and designed with lay-flat binding for ease of use on the job Includes worked-out examples when math is presented to accelerate learning Building on a rich legacy of titles from the celebrated Audel brand, this new addition to their esteemed lineup continues the tradition of delivering trusted content skilled workers reach for the most.

The ultimate 911 hop-up guide. Buy, tune, maintain and modify your prized 9

A study of the long-term decline of the labour movement in America, exploring the outlook for labour and unions in the 21st century. There are insights from contributors from a range of backgrounds - academic and non-academic, domestic and foreign, pro- and anti-union.

This is an examination and an analysis of the systems of recruitment, selection, education and training for junior officers in the British Armed Forces. It is a study based around four core institutions: The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, The Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, the Department of Initial Officer Training, Royal Air Force College, Cranwell and the Officers Training Wing, Commando Training Centre, Royal Marines, Lympstone. The conclusions reveal the enduring dilemmas involved in the preparation of officer aspirants for entry to the British military profession.

The incursions of women into areas from which they had been traditionally excluded, together with the literary representations of their attempts to negotiate, subvert and appropriate these forbidden spaces, is the underlying theme that unites this collection of essays. Here scholars from Australia, Greece, Great Britain, Spain, Switzerland and the United States reconsider the well-entrenched assumptions associated with the public/private distinction, working with the notions of public and private spheres while testing their currency and exploring their blurred edges. The essays cover and uncover a rich variety of spaces, from the slums and court-rooms of London to the American wilderness, from the Victorian drawing-room and sick-room to out of the ordinary places like Turkish baths and the trenches of the First World War. Where previous studies have tended to focus on a single aspect of women’s engagement with space, this edited book reveals a plethora of subtle and tenacious strategies found in a variety of discourses that include fiction, poetry, diaries, letters, essays and journalism. Inside Out goes beyond the early work on artistic explorations of gendered space to explore the breadth of the field and its theoretical implications.

Lesbians and gays have gone from "coming out," to "acting up," to "outing," meanwhile radically redefining society's views on sexuality and gender. The essays in Inside/Out employ a variety of approaches (psychoanalysis, deconstruction, semiotics, and discourse theory) to investigate representations of sex and sexual difference in literature, film, video, music, and photography. Engaging the figures of divas, dykes, vampires and queens, the contributors address issues such as AIDS, pornography, pedagogy, authorship, and activism. Inside/Out shifts the focus from sex to sexual orientation, provoking a reconsideration of the concepts of the sexual and the political.

The contributors to this volume examine social processes in terms of minority influence.

This book explores some of the complex ethical quandaries entailed by proposed phase III HIV preventive vaccine trials. The book argues that such trials must be initiated as soon as politically and ethically feasible on the one hand, and that no such trials should be undertaken until we can assure full compliance with the Nuremberg Code and the WHO/CIOMS International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects on the other. The tension between these two positions is fully detailed and suggestions offered for how to think about possible resolutions.