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A Simple Two‐Sector Model of Outsourcing

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  • Ravi Batra
  • Hamid Beladi

Abstract

Outsourcing has become an increasingly contentious subject ever since N. Gregory Mankiw remarked in 2004 that outsourcing is just another way of doing international trade, and must be beneficial to the nation, including the workers. We construct a simple two‐sector specific‐factor model and explore the validity of Mankiw's remarks. We find his ideas are valid when the country does not produce any outsourced factor's work at home in that both the laborers and the nation benefit. But when some outsourced factor cum intermediate good is also produced at home, the nation still benefits but the workers may suffer.

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  • Ravi Batra & Hamid Beladi, 2010. "A Simple Two‐Sector Model of Outsourcing," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(1), pages 64-73, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:rdevec:v:14:y:2010:i:1:p:64-73
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9361.2009.00539.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sung‐min Kim & Jin‐tae Hwang, 2014. "Globalization, Ownership Structures and Productivity Dispersion," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(1), pages 152-161, February.
    2. Choi, E. Kwan & Choi, Jai-Young, 2013. "Financial advantage, outsourcing and FDI under wage uncertainty," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 260-267.
    3. Ravi Batra & Hamid Beladi, 2010. "Outsourcing and the Heckscher–Ohlin Model," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(2), pages 277-288, May.
    4. Ravi Batra & Hamid Beladi, 2013. "The US Trade Deficit and the Rate of Interest," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(4), pages 614-626, September.
    5. Goswami, Arti Grover, 2013. "Vertical FDI versus outsourcing: The role of technology transfer costs," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 1-21.
    6. Burnett, Perry & Cutler, Harvey, 2018. "The transitional impacts of material and service offshoring," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 136-150.

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