IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ijoais/v11y2010i2p105-119.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of outsourcing on information technology spending

Author

Listed:
  • Kobelsky, Kevin W.
  • Robinson, Michael A.

Abstract

Information technology outsourcing (ITOS) is a strategy used by many firms to either reduce their total cost of IT or gain access to IT capabilities not available in-house. A proprietary data set of large US firms is used to examine the effect of ITOS on firm-level IT spending over the seven-year period 1999–2005. Prior research suggested that (1) engaging in ITOS would be associated with a lower level of IT spending and (2) the extent of ITOS would be negatively associated with the level of IT spending. The results did not support either hypothesis. IT outsourcing is associated with higher IT spending, presumably reflecting the costs of enhancing IT capabilities. This increase in IT spending is driven by firms that initially outsource a large percentage of their IT activity. This paper makes three contributions to the literature. First, it is the first study to investigate whether the act of engaging in ITOS is associated with an objective, quantitative measure of IT spending in a large sample of firms over time. Second, it investigates whether the extent of ITOS affects IT spending, i.e., whether a higher level of ITOS has a greater impact on IT spending. Third, it examines IT spending at the aggregate firm level rather than the individual IT project level, providing a broader measure of the impact of ITOS on the IT function.

Suggested Citation

  • Kobelsky, Kevin W. & Robinson, Michael A., 2010. "The impact of outsourcing on information technology spending," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 105-119.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ijoais:v:11:y:2010:i:2:p:105-119
    DOI: 10.1016/j.accinf.2009.12.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1467089509000621
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.accinf.2009.12.002?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mark C. Anderson & Rajiv D. Banker & Sury Ravindran, 2006. "Value Implications of Investments in Information Technology," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(9), pages 1359-1376, September.
    2. Kalle Lyytinen & Lars Mathiassen & Janne Ropponen, 1998. "Attention Shaping and Software Risk—A Categorical Analysis of Four Classical Risk Management Approaches," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 233-255, September.
    3. Jacquemin, Alexis P & Berry, Charles H, 1979. "Entropy Measure of Diversification and Corporate Growth," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 359-369, June.
    4. Nicolaou, A. & Bhattacharya, S., 2008. "Sustainability of ERPS performance outcomes: The role of post-implementation review quality," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 43-60.
    5. Kobelsky, Kevin & Hunter, Starling & Richardson, Vernon J., 2008. "Information technology, contextual factors and the volatility of firm performance," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 154-174.
    6. David Besanko & David Dranove & Mark Shanley, 2001. "Exploiting a Cost Advantage and Coping with a Cost Disadvantage," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(2), pages 221-235, February.
    7. Bradley, Joseph, 2008. "Management based critical success factors in the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning systems," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 175-200.
    8. Beasley, Mark & Bradford, Marianne & Dehning, Bruce, 2009. "The value impact of strategic intent on firms engaged in information systems outsourcing," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 79-96.
    9. Sanjeev Dewan & Charles Shi & Vijay Gurbaxani, 2007. "Investigating the Risk-Return Relationship of Information Technology Investment: Firm-Level Empirical Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(12), pages 1829-1842, December.
    10. Paolo Ghisletta & Dario Spini, 2004. "An Introduction to Generalized Estimating Equations and an Application to Assess Selectivity Effects in a Longitudinal Study on Very Old Individuals," Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, , vol. 29(4), pages 421-437, December.
    11. Francis, J & Schipper, K, 1999. "Have financial statements lost their relevance?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(2), pages 319-352.
    12. Erik Brynjolfsson & Lorin Hitt, 1996. "Paradox Lost? Firm-Level Evidence on the Returns to Information Systems Spending," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(4), pages 541-558, April.
    13. Volker Mahnke & Mikkel Lucas Overby & Jan Vang, 2005. "Strategic Outsourcing of IT Services: Theoretical Stocktaking and Empirical Challenges," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 205-253.
    14. Goncalves, Silvia & White, Halbert, 2005. "Bootstrap Standard Error Estimates for Linear Regression," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 100, pages 970-979, September.
    15. Sanjeev Dewan & Chung-ki Min, 1997. "The Substitution of Information Technology for Other Factors of Production: A Firm Level Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(12), pages 1660-1675, December.
    16. Sanjeev Dewan & Steven C. Michael & Chung-ki Min, 1998. "Firm Characteristics and Investments in Information Technology: Scale and Scope Effects," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 219-232, September.
    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. Sutton, Steve G., 2010. "A research discipline with no boundaries: Reflections on 20years of defining AIS research," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 289-296.
    2. Herz, Thomas Ph. & Hamel, Florian & Uebernickel, Falk & Brenner, Walter, 2013. "Toward a model of effective monitoring of IT application development and maintenance suppliers in multisourced environments," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 235-253.

    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. Kobelsky, Kevin & Hunter, Starling & Richardson, Vernon J., 2008. "Information technology, contextual factors and the volatility of firm performance," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 154-174.
    2. Sanjeev Dewan & Fei Ren, 2011. "Information Technology and Firm Boundaries: Impact on Firm Risk and Return Performance," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 22(2), pages 369-388, June.
    3. Sanjeev Dewan & Charles Shi & Vijay Gurbaxani, 2007. "Investigating the Risk-Return Relationship of Information Technology Investment: Firm-Level Empirical Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(12), pages 1829-1842, December.
    4. Peng Huang & Marco Ceccagnoli & Chris Forman & D.J. Wu, 2022. "IT Knowledge Spillovers, Absorptive Capacity, and Productivity: Evidence from Enterprise Software," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 33(3), pages 908-934, September.
    5. Ning Jia & Arun Rai & Sean Xin Xu, 2020. "Reducing Capital Market Anomaly: The Role of Information Technology Using an Information Uncertainty Lens," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(2), pages 979-1001, February.
    6. Masli, Adi & Richardson, Vernon J. & Sanchez, Juan Manuel & Smith, Rodney E., 2011. "Returns to IT excellence: Evidence from financial performance around information technology excellence awards," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 189-205.
    7. Murali D. R. Chari & Sarv Devaraj & Parthiban David, 2008. "Research Note--The Impact of Information Technology Investments and Diversification Strategies on Firm Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(1), pages 224-234, January.
    8. Stefan Schweikl & Robert Obermaier, 2020. "Lessons from three decades of IT productivity research: towards a better understanding of IT-induced productivity effects," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 70(4), pages 461-507, November.
    9. Ling Xue & Gautam Ray & Xia Zhao, 2017. "Managerial Incentives and IT Strategic Posture," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 28(1), pages 180-198, March.
    10. Fernández Rodríguez, Zulima Magdalena & Nieto Sánchez, María Jesús, 2005. "The internet: strategy and boundaries of the firm," DEE - Working Papers. Business Economics. WB wb050101, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía de la Empresa.
    11. Chen, Yueh H. & Lin, Winston T., 2009. "Analyzing the relationships between information technology, inputs substitution and national characteristics based on CES stochastic frontier production models," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 552-569, August.
    12. Lin, Winston T. & Chiang, Chung-Yean, 2011. "The impacts of country characteristics upon the value of information technology as measured by productive efficiency," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(1), pages 13-33, July.
    13. Prasanna Tambe & Lorin M. Hitt, 2014. "Job Hopping, Information Technology Spillovers, and Productivity Growth," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(2), pages 338-355, February.
    14. Lin, Winston T. & Chen, Yueh H. & Chou, Chia-Ching, 2021. "Assessing the business values of e-commerce and information technology separately and jointly and their impacts upon US firms' performance as measured by productive efficiency," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    15. Gunasekaran, Angappa & Subramanian, Nachiappan & Papadopoulos, Thanos, 2017. "Information technology for competitive advantage within logistics and supply chains: A review," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 14-33.
    16. Prasanna Tambe, 2014. "Big Data Investment, Skills, and Firm Value," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(6), pages 1452-1469, June.
    17. Erik Brynjolfsson & Andrew McAfee & Michael Sorell & Feng Zhu, 2007. "Scale without mass: business process replication and industry dynamics," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Nov.
    18. Jong-Il Kim, 2004. "Information Technology and Firm Performance in Korea," NBER Chapters, in: Growth and Productivity in East Asia, pages 327-350, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Guido Schryen, 2010. "Preserving Knowledge on IS Business Value," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 2(4), pages 233-244, August.
    20. Konings, Jozef & Dhyne, Emmanuel & Van den bosch, Jeroen & ,, 2018. "The Return on Information Technology: Who Benefits Most?," CEPR Discussion Papers 13246, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    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:eee:ijoais:v:11:y:2010:i:2:p:105-119. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-accounting-information-systems/ .

    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.