IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/orisre/v15y2004i2p110-131.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

IT Outsourcing Strategies: Universalistic, Contingency, and Configurational Explanations of Success

Author

Listed:
  • Jae-Nam Lee

    (School of Business IT, Kookmin University, 861-1, Jeungreung-Dong, Songbuk-Gu, Seoul, 136-702 Korea, and Department of Information Systems, The City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong)

  • Shaila M. Miranda

    (Management Information Systems Division, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019)

  • Yong-Mi Kim

    (Management Information Systems Division, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019)

Abstract

Focus on individual outsourcing decisions in IT research has often yielded contradictory findings and recommendations. To address these contradictions, we investigate a holistic, configurational approach with the prevailing universalistic or contingency perspectives in exploring the effects of IT outsourcing strategies on outsourcing success. Based on residual rights theory, we begin by identifying three dimensions of IT outsourcing strategies: degree of integration, allocation of control, and performance period. We then develop a model of fit-as-gestalt, drawing from literatures on strategy, governance, interorganizational relationships, and outsourcing.Next, based on data from 311 firms in South Korea, we test universalistic and contingency perspectives in explaining the relationship between IT outsourcing strategies and outsourcing success. We then identify three congruent patterns, or gestalts, of IT outsourcing strategies. We term these strategies independent, arm's-length , and embedded strategies. To establish the predictive validity of these gestalts and the viability of a configurational perspective, we then explore the effects of these congruent gestalts vis-à-vis noncongruent patterns on three dimensions of outsourcing success: strategic competence , cost efficiency , and technology catalysis . We also contrast the effects of each of the three gestalts on each of the three dimensions of outsourcing success. Our findings indicate the superiority of the configurational approach over universalistic and contingency perspectives in explaining outsourcing success.

Suggested Citation

  • Jae-Nam Lee & Shaila M. Miranda & Yong-Mi Kim, 2004. "IT Outsourcing Strategies: Universalistic, Contingency, and Configurational Explanations of Success," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 15(2), pages 110-131, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orisre:v:15:y:2004:i:2:p:110-131
    DOI: 10.1287/isre.1040.0013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/isre.1040.0013
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/isre.1040.0013?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hart, Oliver & Moore, John, 1990. "Property Rights and the Nature of the Firm," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(6), pages 1119-1158, December.
    2. J. Carlos Jarillo, 1988. "On strategic networks," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(1), pages 31-41, January.
    3. Julia Porter Liebeskind & Amalya Lumerman Oliver & Lynne Zucker & Marilynn Brewer, 1996. "Social networks, Learning, and Flexibility: Sourcing Scientific Knowledge in New Biotechnology Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(4), pages 428-443, August.
    4. Henry Mintzberg, 1978. "Patterns in Strategy Formation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(9), pages 934-948, May.
    5. Grossman, Sanford J & Hart, Oliver D, 1986. "The Costs and Benefits of Ownership: A Theory of Vertical and Lateral Integration," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(4), pages 691-719, August.
    6. Bruce Kogut & Udo Zander, 1996. "What Firms Do? Coordination, Identity, and Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(5), pages 502-518, October.
    7. Prashant Kale & Harbir Singh & Howard Perlmutter, 2000. "Learning and protection of proprietary assets in strategic alliances: building relational capital," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 217-237, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Argyres, Nicholas S. & Liebeskind, Julia Porter, 2002. "Governance inseparability and the evolution of US biotechnology industry," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 197-219, February.
    2. Peters, Frank, 2018. "The business of video games is a multi-player game : Essays on governance choices and performance in a two-sided market in the cultural industries," Other publications TiSEM 886b3148-4bbb-4ea4-b666-0, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    3. Paul Walker, 2010. "The (Non)Theory Of The Knowledge Firm," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 57(1), pages 1-32, February.
    4. Bart S. Vanneste & Phanish Puranam, 2010. "Repeated Interactions and Contractual Detail: Identifying the Learning Effect," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 186-201, February.
    5. Bakos, J. Yannis. & Brynjolfsson, Erik., 1993. "When quality matters : information technology and buyer-supplier relationships," Working papers 140. Working paper (Sloan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    6. Bernard Baudry & Virgile Chassagnon, 2012. "The vertical network organization as a specific governance structure: what are the challenges for incomplete contracts theories and what are the theoretical implications for the boundaries of the (hub," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(2), pages 285-303, May.
    7. Sara L. McGaughey & Pascalis Raimondos & Lisbeth Cour, 2020. "Foreign influence, control, and indirect ownership: Implications for productivity spillovers," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(9), pages 1391-1412, December.
    8. Nicholas S. Argyres & Todd R. Zenger, 2012. "Capabilities, Transaction Costs, and Firm Boundaries," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(6), pages 1643-1657, December.
    9. Nicholas S. Argyres & Teppo Felin & Nicolai Foss & Todd Zenger, 2012. "Organizational Economics of Capability and Heterogeneity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(5), pages 1213-1226, October.
    10. Virgile Chassagnon, 2008. "Qu'est-ce qu'une firme (-réseau) ?," Post-Print halshs-00374758, HAL.
    11. Klaus Heine & Maximilian Kerk, 2017. "Conflict resolution in meta-organizations: the peculiar role of arbitration," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 6(1), pages 1-20, December.
    12. Morita, Hodaka & Servátka, Maroš, 2013. "Group identity and relation-specific investment: An experimental investigation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 95-109.
    13. Lazzarini, Sergio G. & Mesquita, Luiz F. & Claro, Danny P., 2007. "Buyer-Supplier and Supplier-Supplier Alliances: Do They Reinforce or Undermine One Another?," Insper Working Papers wpe_84, Insper Working Paper, Insper Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa.
    14. Delerue, Hélène, 2018. "Shadow of joint patents: Intellectual property rights sharing by SMEs in contractual R&D alliances," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 12-23.
    15. Sara L. McGaughey & Pascalis Raimondos & Lisbeth Cour, 0. "Foreign influence, control, and indirect ownership: Implications for productivity spillovers," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-22.
    16. Silvia Sacchetti & Roger Sugden, 2003. "The Governance of Networks and Economic Power: The Nature and Impact of Subcontracting Relationships," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(5), pages 669-692, December.
    17. Carolin Haeussler & Matthew J. Higgins, 2012. "Explaining Preferences for Control Rights in Strategic Alliances: A Property Rights and Capabilities Perspective Approach," NBER Working Papers 18364, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Bitsch, Linda & Hanf, Jon H., 2022. "The perfect match: interpersonal relationships and their impact on chain management," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 25(3), March.
    19. Aija Leiponen, 2006. "Organization of knowledge exchange: An empirical study of knowledge-intensive business service relationships," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4-5), pages 443-464.
    20. Kaplow, Louis & Shapiro, Carl, 2007. "Antitrust," Handbook of Law and Economics, in: A. Mitchell Polinsky & Steven Shavell (ed.), Handbook of Law and Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 15, pages 1073-1225, Elsevier.

    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:inm:orisre:v:15:y:2004:i:2:p:110-131. 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: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    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.