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Complexity of Outsourcing Contracts and Ex Post Transaction Costs: An Empirical Investigation

Author

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  • Bertrand Quélin

    (GREGH - Groupement de Recherche et d'Etudes en Gestion à HEC - HEC Paris - Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Jérôme Barthélemy

    (ESSEC Business School)

Abstract

In this article, we use Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) and the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm to study outsourcing agreements. We develop an original approach of contract complexity and analyse the links among exchange hazards (i.e. specificity and environmental uncertainty), the contractual aspects of outsourcing (control, incentives, penalties, price and flexibility clauses) and the level of ex post transaction costs. Both contract complexity and ex post transaction costs are operationalized and measured. Our empirical research analyses 82 outsourcing contracts. This article uses three different dimensions (proximity to the core business, switching costs and adaptation costs) to assess the strategic importance of an outsourced activity. Our findings extend TCE's validity for the outsourcing of activities with a strategic value. Finally, this study offers an indirect measurement of ex post transaction costs. In short, to restrict vendor opportunism, contracts must contain incentives and penalties, as well as pricing and monitoring clauses

Suggested Citation

  • Bertrand Quélin & Jérôme Barthélemy, 2006. "Complexity of Outsourcing Contracts and Ex Post Transaction Costs: An Empirical Investigation," Post-Print hal-00459784, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00459784
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00658.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Mukherjee, Debmalya & Gaur, Ajai S. & Datta, Avimanyu, 2013. "Creating value through offshore outsourcing: An integrative framework," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 377-389.
    2. Benoit A. Aubert & Jean Francois Houde & Suzanne Rivard & Michel Patry, 0. "Determinants of contract completeness for information technology outsourcing," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-16.
    3. Gunasekaran, Angappa & Irani, Zahir & Choy, King-Lun & Filippi, Lionel & Papadopoulos, Thanos, 2015. "Performance measures and metrics in outsourcing decisions: A review for research and applications," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 153-166.
    4. Dorothea Alewell & Sven Hauff & Katrin Weiland & Kirsten Thommes, 2011. "HRM and the use of personnel services: an empirical analysis of German firms," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(4), pages 394-409, July.
    5. Gregor Weber & Ruxandra Maria Mateescu & Steffen Lange & Manfred Rauch, 2016. "Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) in the Context of Changing Energy Economics in Germany," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 18(41), pages 1-89, February.
    6. Kang, Min-Ping & Mahoney, Joseph T. & Tan, Danchi, 2007. "Why Firms Make Unilateral Investments Specific to Other Firms: The Case of OEM Suppliers," Working Papers 07-0110, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    7. Laura Poppo & Kevin Zheng Zhou, 2014. "Managing contracts for fairness in buyer–supplier exchanges," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(10), pages 1508-1527, October.
    8. Albert Plugge & Jacques Brook, 2011. "Examining the Implications of Organizational Structure Changes from a Transaction Cost Perspective: a Longitudinal Study of an Outsourcing Vendor," Working Papers 2011/12, Maastricht School of Management.
    9. Luo, Yadong & Liu, Yi & Yang, Qian & Maksimov, Vladislav & Hou, Jigang, 2015. "Improving performance and reducing cost in buyer–supplier relationships: The role of justice in curtailing opportunism," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 607-615.
    10. Huo, Baofeng & Ye, Yuxiao & Zhao, Xiande & Wei, Jiang & Hua, Zhongsheng, 2018. "Environmental uncertainty, specific assets, and opportunism in 3PL relationships: A transaction cost economics perspective," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 154-163.
    11. Alex Scott & Christopher W. Craighead & Chris Parker, 2020. "Now You See It, Now You Don't: Explicit Contract Benefits In Extralegal Exchanges," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 29(6), pages 1467-1486, June.
    12. Dhikra Chebbi Nekhili & Mehdi Nekhili, 2009. "Gouvernance contractuelle et cognitive des alliances internationales en R&D," Working Papers CREGO 1090505, Université de Bourgogne - CREGO EA7317 Centre de recherches en gestion des organisations.
    13. Thakur-Wernz, Pooja & Bruyaka, Olga & Contractor, Farok, 2020. "Antecedents and relative performance of sourcing choices for new product development projects," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 90.
    14. Benoit A. Aubert & Jean Francois Houde & Suzanne Rivard & Michel Patry, 2017. "Determinants of contract completeness for information technology outsourcing," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 277-292, December.
    15. Christiana Weber & Kathrin Weidner & Arne Kroeger & James Wallace, 2017. "Social Value Creation in Inter-Organizational Collaborations in the Not-for-Profit Sector – Give and Take from a Dyadic Perspective," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(6), pages 929-956, September.
    16. Hansen, Zeynep & Higgins, Matthew, 2007. "The Effect of Contractual Complexity on Technology Sourcing Agreements," MPRA Paper 4979, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Tran, Phuong Nguyen Thu & Gorton, Matthew & Lemke, Fred, 2021. "When supplier development initiatives fail: Identifying the causes of opportunism and unexpected outcomes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 277-289.
    18. Huo, Baofeng & Ye, Yuxiao & Zhao, Xiande, 2015. "The impacts of trust and contracts on opportunism in the 3PL industry: The moderating role of demand uncertainty," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(PA), pages 160-170.
    19. Chen, Stephen & Lin, Nidthida, 2019. "The effect of inter- and intra-organizational distances on success of offshored outsourced innovation: A configurational approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 519-529.
    20. Piotr Urbanek, 2011. "Outsorcing w procesie restrukturyzacji przedsiębiorstwa w świetle teorii kosztów transformacyjnych," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 4, pages 69-84.
    21. Chu, Zhaofang & Wang, Qiang & Lai, Fujun & Collins, Brian J., 2019. "Managing interdependence: Using Guanxi to cope with supply chain dependency," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 620-631.

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    Keywords

    Outsourcing; costs; contracts;
    All these keywords.

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