Abstract:

The globalization phenomenon has impacted almost every business sector, yet the market research industry seems to have under-exploited the many opportunities emerging in a boundary-less world. This paper seeks to identify one such opportunity, OffShore Outsourcing (OSO) moving business processes of the market research industry from high-cost developed countries to low-cost developing countries. It highlights the benefits of OSO to market research companies in both developed and developing countries, and evaluates the feasibility of outsourcing various processes. It also estimates the potential size of this industry, evaluates the barriers that exist in implementing OSO, and lays the blueprint for setting up successful OSO operations. It concludes with the scope of OSO and how it may change the future of the market research industry globally.