IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/indrel/v53y2022i1p71-89.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How the past of outsourcing and offshoring is the future of post‐pandemic remote work: A typology, a model and a review

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher L. Erickson
  • Peter Norlander

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) challenges traditional assumptions about the capacity to manage work beyond organizational and physical boundaries. A typology connects a variety of non‐traditional work organizations made possible by ICT, including offshoring, outsourcing, remote work, virtual companies and platforms. A model illustrates how new technology serves as a proximate cause for a revision of social contracts between capital, labour and government reached through bargaining and how external shocks such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, the institutional environment and limitations in practice influence how technology changes the organization of work. An historical case study of the New Deal Industrial Relations System illustrates the general features of the model for tackling major transformations in the organization of work. A review of the outsourcing and offshoring literature provides examples of how features of the model will potentially influence the future of post‐pandemic remote work.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher L. Erickson & Peter Norlander, 2022. "How the past of outsourcing and offshoring is the future of post‐pandemic remote work: A typology, a model and a review," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 71-89, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:53:y:2022:i:1:p:71-89
    DOI: 10.1111/irj.12355
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/irj.12355
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/irj.12355?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Prasanna Tambe & Lorin M. Hitt, 2012. "Now IT's Personal: Offshoring and the Shifting Skill Composition of the U.S. Information Technology Workforce," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(4), pages 678-695, April.
    2. Arie Y Lewin & Silvia Massini & Carine Peeters, 2009. "Why are companies offshoring innovation? The emerging global race for talent," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(8), pages 1406-1406, October.
    3. Shuo Sun & Erica E. M. Moodie & Johanna G. Nešlehová, 2021. "Causal inference for quantile treatment effects," Environmetrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), June.
    4. Hanson, Gordon H. & Kerr, William R. & Turner, Sarah (ed.), 2018. "High-Skilled Migration to the United States and Its Economic Consequences," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226525525, August.
    5. Alan M. Rugman & Alain Verbeke, 2005. "Subsidiary Specific Advantages in Multinational Enterprises," Chapters, in: Analysis of Multinational Strategic Management, chapter 6, pages 77-90, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Kyoung‐Hee Yu & Frank Levy, 2010. "Offshoring Professional Services: Institutions and Professional Control," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 48(4), pages 758-783, December.
    7. Schmeisser, Bjoern, 2013. "A Systematic Review of Literature on Offshoring of Value Chain Activities," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 390-406.
    8. Eugene D. Hahn & Kraiwinee Bunyaratavej & Jonathan P. Doh, 2011. "Impacts of Risk and Service Type on Nearshore and Offshore Investment Location Decisions," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 357-380, June.
    9. Javalgi, Rajshekhar (Raj) G. & Dixit, Ashutosh & Scherer, Robert F., 2009. "Outsourcing to emerging markets: Theoretical perspectives and policy implications," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 156-168, June.
    10. Mark Anner & Matthew Fischer-Daly & Michael Maffie, 2021. "Fissured Employment and Network Bargaining: Emerging Employment Relations Dynamics in a Contingent World of Work," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 74(3), pages 689-714, May.
    11. Arie Lewin & Silvia Massini & Carine Peeters, 2008. "Why are companies offshoring innovation ?the emerging global race for talent," Working Papers CEB 08-009, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    12. Arie Lewin & Silvia Massini & Carine Peeters, 2009. "Why are companies offshoring innovation the emerging global race for talent (Journal of International Business Studies (2009) 40 (901-925) DOI:10.1057/jibs.2008.92)," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/205625, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    13. Lewin, Arie Y. & Volberda, Henk W., 2011. "Co-evolution of global sourcing: The need to understand the underlying mechanisms of firm-decisions to offshore," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 241-251, June.
    14. Prasanna Tambe & Lorin M. Hitt, 2012. "The Productivity of Information Technology Investments: New Evidence from IT Labor Data," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 23(3-part-1), pages 599-617, September.
    15. Gordon H. Hanson & William R. Kerr & Sarah Turner, 2018. "High-Skilled Migration to the United States and Its Economic Consequences," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number hans-4.
    16. Anna Stansbury & Lawrence H. Summers, 2020. "The Declining Worker Power Hypothesis: An Explanation for the Recent Evolution of the American Economy," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 51(1 (Spring), pages 1-96.
    17. Dingel, Jonathan I. & Neiman, Brent, 2020. "How many jobs can be done at home?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    18. Farok J. Contractor & Vikas Kumar & Sumit K. Kundu & Torben Pedersen, 2010. "Reconceptualizing the Firm in a World of Outsourcing and Offshoring: The Organizational and Geographical Relocation of High‐Value Company Functions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(8), pages 1417-1433, December.
    19. Qin Chen & Zhiguo He & Chang-Tai Hsieh & Zheng (Michael) Song, 2021. "Economic Effects of Lockdown in China," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Sumit Agarwal & Zhiguo He & Bernard Yeung (ed.), Impact of COVID-19 on Asian Economies and Policy Responses, chapter 1, pages 3-10, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    20. Farok J. Contractor & Susan M. Mudambi, 2008. "The influence of human capital investment on the exports of services and goods: An analysis of the top 25 services outsourcing countries," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 433-445, April.
    21. John W. Medcof, 2001. "Resource‐based strategy and managerial power in networks of internationally dispersed technology units," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(11), pages 999-1012, November.
    22. Lahiri, Somnath & Kedia, Ben L., 2011. "Co-evolution of institutional and organizational factors in explaining offshore outsourcing," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 252-263, June.
    23. Christopher L. Erickson & Catherine L. Fisk & Ruth Milkman & Daniel J. B. Mitchell & Kent Wong, 2002. "Justice for Janitors in Los Angeles: Lessons from Three Rounds of Negotiations," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 40(3), pages 543-567, September.
    24. Thelen,Kathleen, 2004. "How Institutions Evolve," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521546744, January.
    25. repec:bla:jomstd:v:47:y:2010:i:s2:p:1417-1433 is not listed on IDEAS
    26. Thelen,Kathleen, 2004. "How Institutions Evolve," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521837682, January.
    27. Forrest Briscoe, 2007. "From Iron Cage to Iron Shield? How Bureaucracy Enables Temporal Flexibility for Professional Service Workers," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(2), pages 297-314, April.
    28. repec:bla:jomstd:v:47:y:2010:i:s2:p:1510-1533 is not listed on IDEAS
    29. Kathleen Thelen, 2009. "Institutional Change in Advanced Political Economies," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 47(3), pages 471-498, September.
    30. John Bound & Gaurav Khanna & Nicolas Morales, 2017. "Understanding the Economic Impact of the H-1B Program on the United States," NBER Chapters, in: High-Skilled Migration to the United States and Its Economic Consequences, pages 109-175, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    31. Ram Mudambi & Markus Venzin, 2010. "The Strategic Nexus of Offshoring and Outsourcing Decisions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(8), pages 1510-1533, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tomiura, Eiichi & Kumanomido, Hiroshi, 2023. "Impacts of inter-firm relations on the adoption of remote work: Evidence from a survey in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Claire Estagnasié, 2023. "‘Working the time’: Time self-management practices of remote workers," Post-Print hal-04450916, HAL.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Niccolò Pisani & Joan Enric Ricart, 2016. "Offshoring of Services: A Review of the Literature and Organizing Framework," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 385-424, June.
    2. Schmeisser, Bjoern, 2013. "A Systematic Review of Literature on Offshoring of Value Chain Activities," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 390-406.
    3. Yi-Ju Lo & Tung Hung, 2015. "Structure offshoring and returns on offshoring," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 443-479, June.
    4. Rodgers, Peter & Khan, Zaheer & Tarba, Shlomo & Nurgabdeshov, Assylbek & Ahammad, Mohammad F., 2019. "Exploring the determinants of location choice decisions of offshored R&D projects," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 472-483.
    5. Weng, David H. & Peng, Mike W., 2018. "Home bitter home: How labor protection influences firm offshoring," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 632-640.
    6. Martina Musteen & Mujtaba Ahsan & Taekyung Park, 2017. "SMEs, Intellectual Capital, and Offshoring of Service Activities: An Empirical Investigation," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 603-630, August.
    7. Denitsa Hazarbassanova Blagoeva & Peter D. Ørberg Jensen & Hemant Merchant, 2020. "Services in International Business Studies: A Replication and Extension of Merchant and Gaur (2008)," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 427-457, June.
    8. Caniato, Federico & Elia, Stefano & Luzzini, Davide & Piscitello, Lucia & Ronchi, Stefano, 2015. "Location drivers, governance model and performance in service offshoring," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 189-199.
    9. Lorena D’Agostino, 2015. "The neglected effects of R&D captive offshoring in emerging countries on the creation of knowledge at home," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 42(1), pages 61-91, March.
    10. Nidthida Lin, 2020. "Designing Global Sourcing Strategy for Cost Savings and Innovation: A Configurational Approach," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(5), pages 723-753, October.
    11. Mukherjee, Debmalya & Kumar, Satish & Pandey, Nitesh & Lahiri, Somnath, 2023. "Is offshoring dead? A multidisciplinary review and future directions," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(3).
    12. Jensen, Peter D. Ørberg & Larsen, Marcus M. & Pedersen, Torben, 2013. "The organizational design of offshoring: Taking stock and moving forward," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 315-323.
    13. Martinez-Noya, Andrea & Garcia-Canal, Esteban & Guillen, Mauro F., 2012. "International R&D service outsourcing by technology-intensive firms: Whether and where?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 18-37.
    14. Pooja Thakur-Wernz & Olga Bruyaka, 2017. "Co-evolutionary Perspective on Sourcing Portfolios: Examining Sourcing Choices for Clinical Trials of Bio-pharmaceutical Firms," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 909-946, December.
    15. Zimmermann, Angelika & Ravishankar, M.N., 2016. "A systems perspective on offshoring strategy and motivational drivers amongst onshore and offshore employees," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(4), pages 548-567.
    16. Yadong Luo & Huan Zhang & Juan Bu, 2019. "Developed country MNEs investing in developing economies: Progress and prospect," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(4), pages 633-667, June.
    17. Lydia Bals & Jon F. Kirchoff & Kai Foerstl, 2016. "Exploring the reshoring and insourcing decision making process: toward an agenda for future research," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 102-116, December.
    18. Valle, Sandra & García, Francisco & Avella, Lucía, 2015. "Offshoring Intermediate Manufacturing: Boost or Hindrance to Firm Innovation?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 117-134.
    19. Martinez-Noya, Andrea & Narula, Rajneesh, 2018. "What more can we learn from R&D alliances? : A review and research agenda," MERIT Working Papers 2018-022, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    20. Gooris, Julien & Peeters, Carine, 2014. "Home–Host Country Distance in Offshore Governance Choices," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 73-86.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General
    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:53:y:2022:i:1:p:71-89. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0019-8692 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.