Contextualisation of the complexity in the selection of developing country outsourcees by developed country outsourcers

© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Outsourcing research has recognised that selecting the right offshore supplier (outsourcee) in low-cost distant developing countries is complex, but central to outsourcing success. More specifically, the combination of outsourcee contextual internal factors (e.g. capabilities) with outsourced-to country contextual external factors (e.g. political, legal, economic, socio-cultural) as two fundamental and interconnected decisions firms make when outsourcing remains an underexplored research gap. Therefore, through a rigorous three-tier qualitative approach we, firstly, develop a contextual Environmental Separation Index (ESI) decision tool to help outsourcing firms in making more informed decisions when selecting outsourcees and outsourcing locations. Secondly, we operationalise the ESI as intuitive and easy to use decision tool, yet with a provision to deliver a truly context proof outsourcee selection decision. Thirdly, we adopt a complexity theory lens to explain that narrowing the contextual outsourcer–outsourcee gap facilitates a mind-set shift in outsourcing relationships from hierarchies to networks and from controlling to empowering developing country outsourcees. We show from a complexity theory perspective how contextual separation gaps between developed country outsourcers and developing country outsourcees can be an effective way to grasp the evolutionary path of outsourcing relationships

The impact of the Institution for Educational Development\u27s visiting teacher programme on teachers of English

I explored the impact of the 1997, English VT programme on English language teachers, in terms of how the programme affected their classroom practices. This study revealed the programme\u27s indirect impact on other teachers through the VTs sharing of their learning experiences with their colleagues. I explored the familiarity of the VT\u27s with language teaching approaches, and I concluded that both the teachers I worked with were generally familiar with four major language teaching approaches. Nighat was familiar with three approaches, but was not clear about the fourth. Shama could not explain the approaches by specific names, but she appeared to be practising these approaches in her classroom. In regard to the four language skills, the study revealed that Nighat was clearly familiar with the term integration, as she immediately used the term integration in talking about her teaching. Shama did not use the term integration, but her practice in the real situation in the classroom suggested that she knew how to teach language through integration. In regard to the component of teaching grammar communicatively, both Nighat and Shama were clearly familiar with the term and this was evident not only by their informal discourse about teaching grammar communicatively, but also by observation. The study also revealed that Nighat and Shama were capable of analysing as well as evaluating the syllabi and textbooks, and of enriching both of these, through the creation of their own worksheets and activity sheets. The teachers also derived benefit from the component of the teaching practice in the VT programme. Their classroom practices revealed that the teachers did benefit from the component of teaching practice and that they continued with the significant events of teaching practice such as, teaching the syllabus communicatively, providing positive feedback to their colleagues and teaching of vocabulary by associating them with ideas. The teachers also benefited from the coverage of assessment. Both Nighat and Shama seemed familiar with alternative assessment practices. Nighat however, could not implement these because of the constraints of board examinations, but she was able to assist her other colleagues in designing assessment sheets. Shama seemed to implement these alternative assessment practices. The study suggested that both the teachers were familiar with the term reflection and reflective teaching. They were also aware of the benefits of writing reflective Dissertation Abstracts MEd III Class of 1999 18 journals. The study also revealed that Nighat and Shama had shared their new learning experiences with their colleagues in their respective schools