Skip to main content

Currently Skimming:

Impact of Globalization and Offshoring on Engineering Employment in the Personal Computing Industry--Jason Dedrick and Kenneth L. Kraemer
Pages 125-136

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 125...
... location of engineering work in the personal computing Work done by branded PC makers has changed from industry. As a consequence, lower skilled and lower paid physical engineering concerned with building, testing, and engineering jobs that might have been created in the United mass production, to conceptual design, planning, and prodStates are instead being created overseas, while higher uct management.
From page 126...
... introduction Della 18.2 HPa 15.7 The personal computing (PC) industry includes desktop Lenovo 6.3 and notebook PCs, PC-based servers, and various handheld Acer 4.7 computing devices, such as PDAs, personal music players, Fujitsu/Fujitsu Siemens 4.1 Toshiba 3.5 and smart phones.
From page 127...
... . involves new-product development for desktop and notebook New-product development involves solving problems as PCs; work on new products, such as tablet PCs, blade servers, new technologies are added or new form factors are introand smart handheld devices is also increasing.
From page 128...
... A variety of engineering skills are required at the develProduct Development for Newer Products opment stage, primarily in mechanical, electronic and elec No dominant technology architecture is available for trical engineering, PCB layout, and software engineering. smart phones, iPods, PDAs, and other newer products, most For notebook PCs, specialized skills are required in thermal of which are unique to particular companies.
From page 129...
... He prefers to hire people without experience in manufacturing or development be- TABLE 2  Employment Levels for Selected Engineering cause they "don't know that some things can't be done." If Occupations in the Computer Industry, 2002–2005a they go into manufacturing or development first, they often 2002 2003 2004 2005 "learn" that some things can't be done. His company wants Computer software engineers- 10,250 9,890 12,110 12,800 people who are not "burdened by experience." applications (15-1031)
From page 130...
... a Engineering managers R&D, design, development Stable or growing Tight Tight or enough Lower cost, lower quality Engineering product managers Design, development Stable Tight or enough Tight or enough Lower cost, same quality Hardware engineers Design, development Stable Tight or enough Enough Lower cost, same or lower quality Electrical engineers R&D, design, development Falling or growing Tight or enough Enough Lower cost, same or lower quality Electronic engineers Development Falling Tight or enough Enough Lower cost, same or lower quality Mechanical engineers R&D, design, development Stable or growing Tight or enough Enough Lower cost, same or lower quality Software engineers R&D, design, development Growing Tight Tight or enough Lower cost, same or lower quality Industrial engineers Manufacturing n/ab n/ab Enough Lower cost, same quality Industrial designers Design Stable Enough Enough Lower cost, lower quality Note: Names of firms are confidential. Four were personal computing companies, and one was a component supplier.
From page 131...
... could become competitors. Gradually, Taiwanese ODMs Dedrick- Kraemer Figure 3 government provides incentives to attract design centers and developed specialized engineering skills and began to take strengthen ties to U.S.
From page 132...
... Once the crucial decision to move expensive test- for notebooks, but most is still concentrated in the United ing equipment to China has been made, it is cost Dedrick -Kraemer Figure 4 makers, such as Lenovo, Acer, Fujitsu, effective States. Foreign PC to move more development there as well, even if this means and Toshiba design products in their home countries (e.g., bringing in experienced engineers from Taiwan for a year or China, Taiwan, Japan)
From page 133...
... Dynamic engineers are TABLE 5  Comparative Salaries for Electronics Engineers by Location TABLE 6  Engineering Salaries in China, by Home Base of Notebook PC Companies Average Base Salary Company Home Base Base Salaries Paid in China United States $78,000 Japan $63,000 United States $15,000 (6–7 years experience) Taiwan $20,000 $7500 (new graduates)
From page 134...
... notebook PC developers in the world, as well as engineers with extensive experience developing other products, such as Japan PC motherboards, optical drives, low-end network devices, and add-on cards. In addition, some Taiwanese ODMs are Industrial designers in Japan are not only very good at moving into the mobile phone business.
From page 135...
... Nevertheless, this example industrial engineering associated with manufacturing. Soft- shows how a Taiwanese company can employ large numware engineering, engineering management, and a relatively bers of low-cost engineers for more routine work that must small numbers of jobs in the various hardware, mechanical, be done very quickly to bring high-volume production on and electrical disciplines necessary to support product design line.
From page 136...
... San Jose Mercury mechanical engineers and industrial design people." The News, January 23. Available online at http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/ other said, "The core of the design process is in the United siliconvalley/13692201.htm.


This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More information on Chapter Skim is available.