Printing industry offshoring: perspectives from US based printers

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to report on how US printers perceive offshoring trends in the printing industry, and explore how they are responding to its opportunities and challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors relied on data collection comprising three stages: exploratory interviews, an industry survey, and follow‐up interviews.

Findings

Many printers perceive offshoring as a threat, and some groups are being affected by it. Firms that offer quick and variable printing and/or non‐standard IT services (with the exception of data management) are less likely to suffer from job loss due to the offshoring. To respond to the threat of offshore outsourcing, printers are trying to either focus on “safe” products, introduce new services, or offshore themselves. Most US printers do not have a global footprint, so few have taken advantage of the opportunities opened up by globalization, by offshoring their supply chain or selling abroad.

Research limitations/implications

Due to a low response rate, performance data are not in the analysis. This limitation is common for researchers of the printing industry where little public data are available.

Practical implications

While many US printers are feeling the negative effects of offshoring, few are taking advantage of its benefits.

Originality/value

Most offshoring studies to date have relied on publicly available data, which has significant limitations. This study uses a mix of both survey and interview data to attain a more nuanced view of how the US printing industry is being affected by, and responding, to offshoring.

Citation

Rothenberg, S., Hira, R. and Tang, Z. (2008), "Printing industry offshoring: perspectives from US based printers", Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 50-63. https://doi.org/10.1108/17538290810857475