The outsourcing is a management strategy that has been widely adopted by most Brazilian companies, particularly in forest ector. In spite of its increasing use, the outsourcing has not been a subject considered in many studies conducted in Brazil, particularly concerning to the forest sector, and most specifically to wood harvest. In this context, the main objective of this study was to analyze the outsourcing in the harvest of the wood from the forests planted in Brazil, according to the perception and/or the viewpoint of the three main actors involved in this process, that is, the contracting forest company, those agencies rendering services and the worker. Considering the descriptive exploratory aspect of this study, the data collection of this research was performed by applying some specific questionnaires to 15 contracting forest companies, 15 agencies rendering services and several workers. In defining the appraised contracting companies and agencies rendering services, the probabilistic sample technique was used, in its intentional modality or by judgement; however, in the case of workers the function-stratified sampling was used with the selection of the individuals within each stratum being randomly performed (by raffle). To represent the nature of the qualitative and quantitative contents the descriptive statistical technique was applied by electronic processing of the data, by determining the average and respective percentiles. For the contracting companies, the analysis of the results allowed to conclude that the outsourcing provided the reduction in the fixed costs and labor costs, therefore a reduction in the production costs of the wood, as well as the operational flexibility and agility and labor reduction (employee numbers). By the other hand, the quality of the services became worse and a reduction in productivity occurred. However, on the opinion of most contracting parties, there is a tendency to the growing outsourcing process. In relation to those agencies rendering services, it was verified that: the wide outsourcing of the forest harvesting operations has been providing theses agencies with na opportunity to growth and/or the establishment of new companies; two main difficulties have been faced by the agencies rendering services when
accomplishing their activities, that is, the high cost of the machinery and the unqualifying labor; although the low percentile of the return on investment (6% a year, on the average) and the low prices received by the rendered services, most of the service rendering agencies showed to be stimulated to continue their activities in this area. In relation to the worker, it was concluded that: an young and married person from rural origin, with low school level and a short time under service in the company orresponded to the profile of those agencies’ worker; according to most of those workers, the activities performed in forest harvesting are dangerous, what together with the adverse environmental conditions (pointed out as the main difficulties to face)
constitute a risk to those workers’ health and safety in work.; in spite of all problems, only a low percentile of workers manifested dissatisfaction with the developed work, since a good satisfaction level as to the characteristics and/ or dimensions determining the degree of the life quality in work (QVT).
