Attributes of Communication Quality in Business Process Outsourcing Relationships: Perspectives from India-Based Insourcing Managers

In the past decade, offshore business process outsourcing (BPO) has gained considerable momentum within the global economic landscape. Western companies tend to outsource their business processes to emerging economies, such as India. Research indicates that high quality communication is a crucial element in the success of outsourcing relationships. However, in practice, communication is a problematic factor. In this paper, the authors analyse this complexity by developing and applying a theoretically based BPO-communication quality model. In the empirical part of this study, communication attributes associated with business process outsourcing are investigated through semi-structured interviews with Indian insourcing managers. Multiple communication issues are identified and categorized into several main attributes of communication quality. The model and the findings can be used for further research in the field of BPO. In addition, practical suggestions are provided to resolve the current communication problems and improve outsourcing relationships.