The Globalization of Service Activities: Growth Catalyst or the Final Straw for U.S. Workers?
Friday, April 23, 2004, Washington D.C.
The William Davidson Institute brought U.S. and developing country
policymakers, business leaders and labor representatives to Capitol
Hill to discuss the globalization of services. Among the questions
debated were:
- Is the trend towards globalization of service activities good or bad for U.S. workers, and the U.S. economy?
- What should U.S. policies be in the face of this trend?
- What is its effect on the developing countries that are attracting IT-related service jobs?
- What should developing countries do in the face of protectionist sentiments in the U.S.?
Former U.S. Secretary of State and WDI Distinguished
Scholar Madeleine Albright opened the conference by welcoming the
participants and talking about the offshoring issue. University of
Michigan Business School Professor C.K. Prahalad then gave an overview
of the issue, laying the groundwork for the rest of the conference
discussion.
View a video by clicking on an image below.
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Madeleine Albright, WDI Distinguished Scholar and Conference Chair |
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C.K.
Prahalad, Harvey C. Fruehauf Professor of Business Administration &
Professor of Corporate Strategy and International Business |
The
first session centered on the opportunities and implications for
developing countries. Kenneth Lieberthal, WDI Distinguished Fellow and
former member of the National Security Council under President Clinton,
and Dr. S. Narayan, economic advisor to the Indian prime minister, were
the lead speakers.
The
discussion in the second session focused on the effect offshoring has
on developed country businesses and workers. U.S. Rep. Sander Levin,
D-Mich., and AFL-CIO vice president Ron Blackwell led the discussion.
How
developed countries should respond to offshoring was the topic in the
third session. Donald Jakeway, president and CEO of the Michigan
Economic Development Corp., Dan Griswold, associate director for the
Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy, and Gene Sperling, senior
fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, led the discussion.
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