To date, the call centers accepting orders have been in the United States, but in lower cost areas. McDonald’s noted that “sending orders directly to a call center and back to the grill could also allow McDonald’s employees to focus on delivering better customer service,” according to the CBS News article “Outsourcing Drive Thru?”

But by simply focusing on the cost, many companies learned that there are hidden economic if not social costs to outsourcing.

For example, know what PDI is? It means Power Distance Index, and it is a measure on a scale of up to 120 of how a person in a country would react to an authoritarian figure. Countries with a high PDI would have people more willing to accept an authoritarian power figure in a paternalistic way. People in higher PDI countries are less likely to question authority and are more willing to accept instructions from those in higher positions.

Here is a list of the top seven outsource-providing countries in 2009, and their PDI scores. . .