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A technological contingency perspective on the depth and scope of international outsourcing

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  • Mol, Michael J.
  • Pauwels, Pieter
  • Matthyssens, Paul
  • Quintens, Lieven

Abstract

In this study, we present and test a technological contingency perspective on two dimensions of international outsourcing: depth and scope. The depth of international outsourcing refers to the ratio of foreign to total outsourcing. The scope of international outsourcing captures the degree of psychic dispersion between the country of operations and the countries a firm is outsourcing from. Using multiple regression analysis on a sample of 189 firms in the Netherlands, the effect of five technological contingency factors is measured: product innovation, technological and volume uncertainties, asset specificity, and the integration of the outsourcing function. A most interesting finding is that technological uncertainty and the degree of product innovation turn out to be both positively associated with a high scope-low depth type of international outsourcing and negatively associated with a low scope-high depth type of international outsourcing. The findings create a platform for a two-dimensional typology, which provides an explanatory logic for the expansion and development path of international outsourcing.

Suggested Citation

  • Mol, Michael J. & Pauwels, Pieter & Matthyssens, Paul & Quintens, Lieven, 2004. "A technological contingency perspective on the depth and scope of international outsourcing," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 287-305.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:intman:v:10:y:2004:i:2:p:287-305
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    Cited by:

    1. Grote, Michael H. & Täube, Florian A., 2007. "When outsourcing is not an option: International relocation of investment bank research -- Or isn't it?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 57-77, March.
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    4. Pongelli, Claudia & Calabrò, Andrea & Basco, Rodrigo, 2019. "Family firms' international make-or-buy decisions: Captive offshoring, offshore outsourcing, and the role of home region focus," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 596-606.
    5. Hätönen, Jussi & Eriksson, Taina, 2009. "30+Â years of research and practice of outsourcing - Exploring the past and anticipating the future," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 142-155, June.
    6. Sangcheol Song, 2015. "Inter-Country Exchange Rates and Intra-Firm Trade Flow Within Global Network of Multinational Corporations," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 1-22, February.
    7. Kedia, Ben L. & Mukherjee, Debmalya, 2009. "Understanding offshoring: A research framework based on disintegration, location and externalization advantages," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 250-261, July.
    8. Mol, Michael J., 2005. "Does being R&D intensive still discourage outsourcing?: Evidence from Dutch manufacturing," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 571-582, May.
    9. Claire Veit & Wim Lambrechts & Lieven Quintens & Janjaap Semeijn, 2018. "The Impact of Sustainable Sourcing on Customer Perceptions: Association by Guilt from Scandals in Local vs. Offshore Sourcing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, July.
    10. Hansen, Thorsten, 2010. "Innovation and the International Firm Structure: Theory and Evidence from German Firm-Level Data," Discussion Papers in Economics 11464, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    11. 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.
    12. Swan, K. Scott & Allred, Brent B., 2009. "Does 'the China Option' influence subsidiary technology sourcing strategy?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 169-180, June.
    13. Patricia Laurens & Pierluigi Toma & Antoine Schoen & Cinzia Daraio & Philippe Larédo, 2023. "How does Internationalisation affect the productivity of R&D activities in large innovative firms? A conditional nonparametric investigation," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 1079-1100, April.
    14. 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.
    15. Joe Miemczyk & Thomas Johnsen & Katri Karjalainen & Asta Salmi & Federico Caniato, 2011. "Global sourcing: Linking category characteristics to the geographical scope of sourcing," Post-Print hal-00763047, HAL.
    16. Haikun Han & Juqin Shen & Bo Liu & Han Han, 2022. "Dynamic Incentive Mechanism for Large-scale Projects Based on the Reputation Effects," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, October.
    17. Lars Bengtsson & Mandar Dabhilkar, 2009. "Manufacturing outsourcing and its effect on plant performance—lessons for KIBS outsourcing," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 231-257, April.
    18. Chang, Kuo-Hsiung & Gotcher, Donald F., 2007. "Safeguarding investments and creation of transaction value in asymmetric international subcontracting relationships: The role of relationship learning and relational capital," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 477-488, December.
    19. Patricia Laurens & Pierluigi Toma & Antoine Schoen & Cinzia Daraio & Philippe Larédo, 2022. "How does Internationalisation affect the productivity of R&D activities in large innovative firms? A conditional nonparametric investigation," Post-Print hal-03840316, HAL.
    20. Florence Duvivier & Carine Peeters, 2011. "The use of expatriates in the offshoring of services - Framework and research propositions," Working Papers CEB 11-059, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    21. 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).
    22. Kedia, Ben L. & Lahiri, Somnath, 2007. "International outsourcing of services: A partnership model," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 22-37, March.
    23. Jose A. Belso-Martinez, 2010. "Outsourcing Decisions, Product Innovation and the Spatial Dimension: Evidence from the Spanish Footwear Industry," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 47(14), pages 3057-3077, December.
    24. Karjalainen, Katri & Salmi, Asta, 2013. "Continental differences in purchasing strategies and tools," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 112-125.
    25. 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.

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