IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/manint/v48y2008i1d10.1007_s11575-008-0004-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An evolutionary stage model of outsourcing and competence destruction: A Triad comparison of the consumer electronics industry

Author

Listed:
  • Masaaki Kotabe

    (Temple University
    Kobe University)

  • Michael J. Mol

    (University of Reading & Visiting Researcher)

  • Sonia Ketkar

    (Towson University)

Abstract

Abstract and Key Results • Outsourcing has gained much prominence in managerial practice and academic discussions in the last two decades or so. Yet, we still do not understand the full implications of outsourcing strategy for corporate performance. No general explanation has so far been provided for how outsourcing could lead to deterioration in a firm’s competence base. We longitudinally analyze three cases of major consumer electronics manufacturers, Emerson Radio from the U.S., Japan’s Sony and Philips from the Netherlands to understand the dynamic process related to their sourcing strategies. • We develop an evolutionary stage model that relates outsourcing to competence development inside the firm and shows that a vicious cycle may emerge. The evolutionary stage model helps managers understand for which activities and under which conditions outsourcing across borders is not a viable option. • Results suggest that each of these firms had faced a loss of manufacturing competitiveness in its home country, to which it responded by offshoring and then outsourcing production. When a loss of competences occurred, some outsourcing decisions were reversed.

Suggested Citation

  • Masaaki Kotabe & Michael J. Mol & Sonia Ketkar, 2008. "An evolutionary stage model of outsourcing and competence destruction: A Triad comparison of the consumer electronics industry," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 65-94, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:manint:v:48:y:2008:i:1:d:10.1007_s11575-008-0004-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11575-008-0004-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11575-008-0004-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11575-008-0004-1?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. Mol, Michael J. & van Tulder, Rob J.M. & Beije, Paul R., 2005. "Antecedents and performance consequences of international outsourcing," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 599-617, October.
    2. David J. TEECE, 2008. "Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration, licensing and public policy," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 5, pages 67-87, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. 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.
    4. Nooteboom, Bart, 1999. "Innovation and inter-firm linkages: new implications for policy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(8), pages 793-805, November.
    5. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    6. John H Dunning, 1988. "The Eclectic Paradigm of International Production: A Restatement and Some Possible Extensions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(1), pages 1-31, March.
    7. Martin Kennly & Richard Florida, 1995. "The Transfer Of Japanese Management Styles In Two Us Transplant Industries: Autos And Electronics," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(6), pages 789-802, November.
    8. Frédéric Dalsace & Michael J. Leiblein & Jeffrey J. Reuer, 2002. "Do make or buy decisions matter? The influence of organizational governance on technological performance," Post-Print hal-00457649, HAL.
    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. Kim, Jongwook & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2008. "A Strategic Theory of the Firm as a Nexus of Incomplete Contracts: A Property Rights Approach," Working Papers 08-0108, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    2. Rahul Kapoor & Ron Adner, 2012. "What Firms Make vs. What They Know: How Firms' Production and Knowledge Boundaries Affect Competitive Advantage in the Face of Technological Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(5), pages 1227-1248, October.
    3. Schubert, Torben & Baier, Elisabeth & Rammer, Christian, 2016. "Technological capabilities, technological dynamism and innovation offshoring," ZEW Discussion Papers 16-044, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    4. Kim, Sung Min & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2002. "Mutual Commitment to Support Exchange: Specific IT System as a Substitute for Managerial Hierarchy," Working Papers 02-0115, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    5. Bruce Rasmussen, 2010. "Innovation and Commercialisation in the Biopharmaceutical Industry," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13680.
    6. Rakesh B. Sambharya & Jooh Lee, 2014. "Renewing Dynamic Capabilities Globally: An Empirical Study of the World’s Largest MNCs," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 137-169, April.
    7. Guido Buenstorf & Matthias Geissler, 2013. "Not Invented Here: Technology Licensing, Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Based on Public Research," Economic Complexity and Evolution, in: Guido Buenstorf & Uwe Cantner & Horst Hanusch & Michael Hutter & Hans-Walter Lorenz & Fritz Rahmeyer (ed.), The Two Sides of Innovation, edition 127, pages 77-107, Springer.
    8. Guo Bai & S. Ramakrishna Velamuri, 2021. "Contextualizing the Sharing Economy," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 977-1001, June.
    9. Anderson, John & Sutherland, Dylan & Severe, Sean, 2015. "An event study of home and host country patent generation in Chinese MNEs undertaking strategic asset acquisitions in developed markets," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 758-771.
    10. Satish Nambisan & Shaker A. Zahra & Yadong Luo, 2019. "Global platforms and ecosystems: Implications for international business theories," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(9), pages 1464-1486, December.
    11. 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.
    12. Mahoney, Joseph & Asher, Cheryl Carleton & Mahoney, James, 2004. "Towards a Property Rights Foundation for a Stakeholder Theory of the Firm," Working Papers 04-0116, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    13. Jacobides, Michael G. & Knudsen, Thorbjorn & Augier, Mie, 2006. "Benefiting from innovation: Value creation, value appropriation and the role of industry architectures," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1200-1221, October.
    14. Rajneesh Narula & Christian Geisler Asmussen & Tailan Chi & Sumit Kumar Kundu, 2019. "Applying and advancing internalization theory: The multinational enterprise in the twenty-first century," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(8), pages 1231-1252, October.
    15. Jain, Amit, 2011. "Connaissance, ressources, concurrence et les frontières de l'entreprise," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/6403 edited by Thiétart, Raymond-Alain.
    16. Mahoney, Joseph T., 2012. "Towards a Stakeholder Theory of Strategic Management," Working Papers 12-0100, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    17. MALEN, Joel & YAMANOI, Junichi, 2016. "Environmental regulation and international expansion of MNEs : The moderating role of pollution reduction resources and firm multinationality on location choice," IIR Working Paper 16-13, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    18. Kim, Jongwook & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2005. "Appropriating Economic Rents from Resources: An Integrative Property Rights and Resource-Based Approach," Working Papers 05-0123, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    19. 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.
    20. Venkat Kuppuswamy & Carliss Y. Baldwin, 2012. "Risky Business: The Impact of Property Rights on Investment and Revenue in the Film Industry," Harvard Business School Working Papers 13-007, Harvard Business School, revised Aug 2012.

    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:spr:manint:v:48:y:2008:i:1:d:10.1007_s11575-008-0004-1. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.