Organizing IT purchases: Evidence from a global study

Information technology (IT) purchasing is covering an increasing part of companies’ expenditure. Scholars mainly investigated IT purchasing in terms of make or buy drivers from an IT perspective. Similarly, companies have been focusing on make or buy decisions and specifications definition in relation to technological characteristics. This often resulted in failures related to the goods/services purchased due to e.g. lack of negotiation skills, contracting, and suppliers’ relationship management. Accordingly, IT purchasing might require new structures and processes management.The purpose of the paper is to investigate what are the possible configurations for IT purchasing, and how these configurations are characterized in terms of purchasing process (i.e., strategic purchasing, sourcing and supply) and organization (i.e., roles involved, level of centralization, and span of control). Furthermore, the paper asks how IT relevance and purchasing maturity might affect these configurations. Through 12 case studies of leading international companies, four main configurations of the organization and the purchasing process for IT purchasing were identified, namely neutral (no specific approach is in place), IT oriented (the IT department takes the lead over the purchasing department), purchasing oriented (the purchasing department manages the whole IT sourcing process) and IT strategic (IT and purchasing departments jointly manage the IT purchasing process). The choice of the configuration is driven by IT strategic importance (low for neutral and purchasing oriented) and purchasing maturity of the company (low for neutral and IT oriented).     

Innovation risks of strategic outsourcing

Outsourcing was originally confined to peripheral business functions and mainly motivated by a cost saving logic, but has now developed into a routine strategic management move that affects not only peripheral functions but the heart of the competitive core of organisations. At the same time there is a move from traditional outsourcing with one or a small number of key partners and long-term contracts to strategic outsourcing with multiple partners and short-term contracts. This paper investigates the innovation-related risks that can arise from strategic outsourcing and adopts a trust, collaboration and network perspective for this analysis. It uses the example of Information technology/Information Systems (IT/IS) outsourcing to highlight the increased risks that arise from a move from traditional to strategic outsourcing and discusses some measures that managers can take to attempt to control these risks. The nature of the risk is closely related to the risk of information leakage that arises from collaborative research and technology development between organisations in technology-intensive sectors that has been analysed by Hoecht and Trott [Hoecht, A., Trott, P., 1999. Trust, risk and control in the management of collaborative technology development. International Journal of Innovation Management 3(1), 257–270].     

Improving collaboration between large and small-medium enterprises in automobile production

ABSTRACT

Inter-organisational collaboration is important for achieving qualitative and quantitative performance improvement in the global competitive environment. In particular, the extent of collaboration between the mother company and its suppliers is important for the profitability and sustainability of a company in the automobile industry, which is carried out using a customisation and order production system. As a result of the empirical analysis in this study, the collaborative information sharing cycle is shortened and the collaborative information sharing scope is widened. Therefore, the level of collaboration is improved by constructing an IT collaboration system.     

我国IT行业人员招聘外包的可行性分析

由于信息技术的飞速发展,IT行业对于专业人才的需求量越来越大。本文在分析了IT行业人力资源管理的特点以及招聘存在的问题基础上,从经济方面、组织方面、技术方面进行了可行性分析,得出IT行业的招聘工作外包因具有降低企业在招聘人才过程中的成本、把人力资源管理人员从繁琐的事务性工作中解放出来等优点而适合在IT行业推广的结论。     

Internationalization as a determining factor of HRM outsourcing

This paper examines the effect of company internationalization on the practice of outsourcing HRM functions in Greece. It holds the assumption that HRM outsourcing is perceived as an innovative practice and that foreign multinationals (MNCs) will use this practice more than native ones do. In doing that, the study aims at examining whether ‘diffusion’ of loosely- regulated management practices such as HRM outsourcing, is sustained by foreign multinationals. The findings of the 2000 CRANET survey are presented to show that HRM outsourcing is used to a lesser extent in Greece than other Western economies. Then the hypothesis that MNCs outsource more HRM services than Greek companies do is tested. The analysis draws upon the findings of a survey addressed to HR directors of both foreign multinationals and Greek companies. A significant difference is found in the extent of HRM outsourcing between Greek companies and foreign multinational subsidiaries. This is adequately explained through the comparison of the way HRM is conducted in Greek each type of company, as well as the segregation of the Greek market for HRM services. The paper adds to the discussion on the role of multinationals in the diffusion of innovative managerial practices, as well as to the HRM convergence–divergence debate.     

Unlocking the business outsourcing process model

Outsourcing has emerged as a prevalent business practice that is having a transformational impact on how many organizations manage their global supply chains. Despite this prominence, anecdotal reports from multiple reputable organizations suggest that many businesses fail to realize the benefits anticipated from their outsourcing initiatives. Motivated by these observations, this study investigates those management practices during the outsourcing process that are key drivers of outsourcing performance. Specifically, detailed data from 198 sourcing executives and managers responsible for outsourcing initiatives are used to investigate the influence that strategic evaluation, contractual completeness, and relationship management practices have on achieving projected outsourcing results. The results offer strong empirical evidence that outsourcing performance is significantly influenced by extensive strategic evaluation and proactive relationship management practices. Moreover, the impact strategic evaluation has on outsourcing performance is not direct, but rather is partially mediated by the relationship between the parties. Finally, the results show that contractual completeness does not distinguish between successful and unsuccessful outsourcing efforts, and can be considered qualifying activity.     

Graduates' reactions to recruitment process outsourcing: A scenario‐based study

This study examines how successive outsourcing of recruitment activities to an external provider—also known as recruitment process outsourcing (RPO)—affects graduates' reactions. Using an experimental scenario technique, a total of 158 graduates participated in four hypothetical scenarios that have been developed as an experimental between‐subject design. Results provide support for negative effects of the extent of RPO on graduates' satisfaction with the recruitment process and company attractiveness. More‐over, mediated by graduates' satisfaction with the recruitment process and company attractiveness, an increasing extent of RPO negatively influences job‐acceptance intentions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Differences Between Clients’ and Vendors’ Perceptions of IT Outsourcing Risks: Project Partnering as the Mitigation Approach

Information technology (IT) outsourcing has been a business practice for more than two decades. Researchers have suggested successful risk management as a key factor in successful IT outsourcing projects implementation. The documented investigations, however, have mainly addressed risk management only from a single perspective of either clients or IT vendors. Considering only one perspective allows for an omission of possible risks considered critical by the other party, as suggested by agency theory. This study explored the potential perception inconsistency regarding the risks between the client and the vendor for IT outsourcing projects by using a quasi‐Delphi approach. The analysis results indicated some inconsistencies in the risks perceived by the two parties: (1) the clients regarded (a) lack of vendor commitment to the project and (b) poor vendor selection criteria and process as top critical risks but the vendors didn't; and (2) on the other hand, the vendors perceived (a) unclear requirements and (b) lack of experience and expertise with project activities as significant risks but the clients didn't. Insights into how the client and the vendor perceive risks may help both parties determine how to partner and manage project risks collaboratively to succeed in outsourcing.     

Learning from R&D outsourcing vs. learning by R&D outsourcing

We analyze how research and development (R&D) outsourcing influences product innovation. We propose a separation between learning from R&D outsourcing, whereby the firm improves its ability to innovate by using outsourced R&D directly in new products, from learning by R&D outsourcing, whereby the firm indirectly uses outsourced R&D by integrating it with internal R&D to create new products. Building on the knowledge-based view, we argue that learning from R&D outsourcing is likely to have an inverse U-shaped relationship with product innovation, because the initial benefits of using outsourced component R&D knowledge to innovate products is eventually outweighed by the hollowing out of the firm's ability to innovate. In contrast, we propose that learning by R&D outsourcing is likely to have a U-shaped relationship with product innovation, because the initial challenges of integrating internal and external R&D are eventually overcome, resulting in more innovations. Finally, we distinguish between domestic and foreign R&D outsourcing and propose a liability of foreignness in R&D outsourcing as it has a lower impact on new products than domestic R&D outsourcing. The empirical analysis shows that outsourced R&D has an inverted U-shaped relationship with the number of new products, while the interaction between outsourced R&D and internal R&D has a U-shaped relationship with the number of new products. It also shows that domestic outsourced R&D has a higher positive impact on the number of new products than foreign outsourced R&D.     

Human resources outsourcing in Canadian organizations: An empirical analysis of the role of organizational characteristics,transaction costs and risks

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of three classes of determinants using a sample of 271 Canadian Organizations, namely: (1) strategic and organizational characteristics; (2) transactional variables; and (3) risk factors on human resource outsourcing. Using an ordered probit statistical analysis, the results show that a strategic implication on the part of the human resources department, support from top managers, prior experience with outsourcing and extensive use of benchmarking in human resources management are positively related to the intensity of Human Resource Outsourcing (HRO). We found some support for the transaction-specific variables, most notably for the complexity and the specificity of transactions. Finally, the study reveals that human and business risks appear to be important drivers of a firm's decision to outsource.     

Recruitment and selection services: Efficiency and competitive reasons in the outsourcing of HR practices

While human resource (HR) activities have traditionally been performed internally, the outsourcing of HR practices is a rapidly increasing phenomenon. The accelerated rate of HR outsourcing also corresponds to a sweeping change in which non-transactional activities, such as recruitment, selection and training, are among the most outsourced HR practices. This article investigates the outsourcing decisions of recruiting and selection (R&S). It develops a predictive model based on efficiency drivers, rooted in transaction cost economy (TCE), and competitive motivations, derived from the resource-based view. The model has been tested in a sample of 276 medium and large enterprises in two specific contexts: the outsourcing of administrative R&S practices (job advertisement and pre-screening) and that of the more strategic R&S practices (colloquia and selection). Findings confirm the relevance of both categories of predictors, but they reveal how efficiency motivations are more important for the decisions to outsource administrative R&S practices while competitive issues matter more for the strategic side of R&S activity. Theoretical and managerial implications are offered on the basis of such evidence.     

化学工程公司员工培训外包方案设计

文章中以A化学公司为例,论述了A化学工程公司遵照培训外包的9个步骤,确定将项目管理、施工管理、国际经营管理和文化敏感性、创新能力和团队精神等培训活动外包,依据选择外包服务商的成本、质量和合作维度3个影响因素,采用协商选择法来确定外包服务商,建立监控外包活动质量、进度和风险控制的机制,以提高培训质量和防范外包风险。     

试论营销外包

营销外包是实现公司营销目标的一种新管理方式,美国、日本很多企业已实行营销外包,我国虽然才刚刚兴起,但营销外包已是大势所趋。文章介绍了营销外包的类型和作用,并指出营销外包应注意的问题。     

The role of buyer and supplier knowledge stocks for supplier-led improvements in logistics outsourcing

In service outsourcing, supplier-led relationship-specific improvements (RSIs) are vital to buyers, yet, often falls short of the buyer's expectations. One explanation for the lack of such RSIs are insufficient relationship-specific knowledge stocks. However, it is not understood how relationship-specific knowledge stocks facilitate RSIs. Our research addresses this gap by providing a nuanced view of knowledge stocks as relationship-specific resources in service outsourcing. This research is based on a multiple case study of ten logistics outsourcing dyads. The findings build on the Relational View of Dyer and Singh (1998) and extend the understanding of how different types of relationship-specific-knowledge stocks and their sub-dimensions affect proactive and reactive RSIs. In this respect, supplier knowledge of the specific value-creating processes (e.g., logistics processes) at the buyer form the foundational layer for RSIs, flowed by a second layer of supplier knowledge of the buyer company and its up- and downstream interconnections with the customers and other suppliers. The third knowledge-layer is formed by more generic relationships-related market knowledge. In addition, the buyer’s knowledge of the service supplier showed vital in facilitating RSIs by removing barriers that hamper the supplier’s improvement efforts.     

企业人力资源管理外包影响因素分析

发展核心业务,非核心业务采用外包(Outsourcing)策略,以提升企业核心竞争力,在现代企业得到普遍采用。人力资源管理作为企业战略及职能范畴的外包,近年来亦引起国内企业的高度关注并得到应用。文章旨在通过对人力资源外包的基础理论探讨,归纳影响人力资源外包决策的因素。     

Transformational offshore outsourcing: Empirical evidence from alliances in China

Adopting a transformational offshore outsourcing perspective, we examine empirically the relationship among the motive to acquire tacit knowledge from outsourcing partners, formal and social control mechanisms, and innovation outcomes among Sino-foreign as well as local alliances. We constructed our theoretical model incorporating knowledge management, social exchange, and alliance risk perspectives, and hypothesized that motives to acquire partners’ tacit knowledge through offshore outsourcing will affect firm innovation via two forms of control, namely social control and formal control. Our empirical testing, utilizing two sub-samples composed of Sino-foreign offshore outsourcing alliances and local outsourcing alliances, respectively, reveals that the motive to acquire outsourcing partner's tacit knowledge and different control mechanisms are significant predictors of incremental and radical innovation outcomes, and that there are some intriguing differences between the Sino-foreign alliances and local alliances.     

IT战略规划——实现IT目标与企业目标的战略集成

伴随信息化的发展而出现的“IT黑洞”,使得IT治理成为当下企业的热门话题之一,而IT治理的核心环节是公司的IT目标是否与战略目标相一致。通过分析IT目标与企业目标的互动关系,进而提出实现二者战略集成的利器—IT战略规划,指出其对于有效地解决“IT黑洞”问题,以及推动我国企业信息化优势提升的探索与实践,都具有重大意义。同时就如何进行企业IT战略规划进行了论述,最后对IT战略规划作了进一步的思考。     

我国企业财务外包中的风险及对策研究

财务外包是指将财务管理工作中的部分非核心业务或流程外包给专业的财务公司代理记账或处理业务的财务管理模式。目的是为了降低企业成本,充分利用市场资源,更好的发展企业核心业务。本文首先介绍了财务外包和财务外包风险的概念,接着对企业财务外包的风险进行了分析,最后提出了五点管理对策,以期对企业有效的规避和降低财务外包风险提供指导和帮助。     

基于层次分析法的物流业务外包的研究

随着世界经济的快速发展和经济全球化的浪潮,21世纪的市场竞争已经由企业间的竞争转变成为供应链之间的竞争。越来越多的企业管理人员接受了供应链管理这种概念,并在实践中受益匪浅。物流业务外包已成为供应链竞争中日趋明显趋势,对大多数选择将物流业务外包的企业而言,外包供应商选择是企业物流业务外包成败的关键环节。层次分析法可为企业选择合适的外包供应商提供定量分析依据,也可使外包供应商在提高自身竞争力上找准关键点。