IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/asiapa/v38y2021i3d10.1007_s10490-019-09696-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Vendor boundary spanning in Indian Information Technology (IT) companies

Author

Listed:
  • Smita Prashant Chattopadhyay

    (Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli)

  • Madhuchhanda Das Aundhe

    (Independent Researcher)

Abstract

Boundary spanning is an important mechanism for the successful and efficient management of client-vendor relationships in Information Technology (IT) outsourcing. Vendors are often responsible for initiating boundary-spanning between the two parties, and the final effectiveness of boundary-spanning often hinges more on vendors rather than on clients. Boundary-spanners are individuals, who operate at the boundary of an organization, performing functions like external representation and information processing. The idea that boundary-spanning can become an organizational capability is well acknowledged in prior literature; but research regarding this process is limited. Boundary-spanning is often left to the ingenuity of the individual performing the role, preventing its development as an organizational capability. Therefore, this study attempts to uncover the process and develop the building blocks of the organizational capability in managing client-vendor relationships in IT outsourcing. We adopt an exploratory case study method for theory building to address the question, “How do vendor boundary-spanners influence client-vendor relationships in IT outsourcing engagements?” We use multiple-case design (9 cases) for literal replication. Our propositions show that the practices of an effective boundary-spanner involves establishing a dyadic tie with the client-manager; strengthening the established tie based on shared context; using it to identify a joint problem; and developing interpersonal trust while solving this joint problem. The outcome of this interpersonal trust then gets appropriated through client-manager’s structural networks and contributes to the vendor organization’s business growth. This study uses the social capital lens to develop propositions regarding how boundary-spanners operate.

Suggested Citation

  • Smita Prashant Chattopadhyay & Madhuchhanda Das Aundhe, 2021. "Vendor boundary spanning in Indian Information Technology (IT) companies," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 1139-1177, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:asiapa:v:38:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s10490-019-09696-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10490-019-09696-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10490-019-09696-8
    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/s10490-019-09696-8?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. Patricia J. Guinan & Jay G. Cooprider & Samer Faraj, 1998. "Enabling Software Development Team Performance During Requirements Definition: A Behavioral Versus Technical Approach," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 101-125, June.
    2. Michael L. Tushman & Elaine Romanelli, 1983. "Uncertainty, Social Location and Influence in Decision Making: A Sociometric Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(1), pages 12-23, January.
    3. Kakabadse, Andrew & Kakabadse, Nada, 2002. "Trends in Outsourcing:: Contrasting USA and Europe," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 189-198, April.
    4. Davide Nicolini & Jeanne Mengis & Jacky Swan, 2012. "Understanding the Role of Objects in Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(3), pages 612-629, June.
    5. Akbar Zaheer & Bill McEvily & Vincenzo Perrone, 1998. "Does Trust Matter? Exploring the Effects of Interorganizational and Interpersonal Trust on Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 141-159, April.
    6. Henry Mintzberg, 1978. "Patterns in Strategy Formation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(9), pages 934-948, May.
    7. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    8. Annelore Huyghe & Mirjam Knockaert & Mike Wright & Evila Piva, 2014. "Technology transfer offices as boundary spanners in the pre-spin-off process: the case of a hybrid model," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 289-307, August.
    9. Rajesh Srivastava & Thomas Tang, 2015. "Coping Intelligence: Coping Strategies and Organizational Commitment Among Boundary Spanning Employees," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 525-542, September.
    10. Kale, Prashant & Dyer, Jeffrey & Singh, Harbir, 2001. "Value creation and success in strategic alliances:: alliancing skills and the role of alliance structure and systems," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 463-471, October.
    11. Aundhe, Madhuchhanda Das & Mathew, Saji K., 2009. "Risks in offshore IT outsourcing: A service provider perspective," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 418-428, December.
    12. Richard J. Boland & Ramkrishnan V. Tenkasi, 1995. "Perspective Making and Perspective Taking in Communities of Knowing," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(4), pages 350-372, August.
    13. Wilhelm Barner-Rasmussen & Mats Ehrnrooth & Alexei Koveshnikov & Kristiina Mä;kelä, 2014. "Cultural and language skills as resources for boundary spanning within the MNC," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(7), pages 886-905, September.
    14. Hayagreeva Rao & Kumar Sivakumar, 1999. "Institutional Sources of Boundary-Spanning Structures: The Establishment of Investor Relations Departments in the Fortune 500 Industrials," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(1), pages 27-42, February.
    15. Pedersen, Torben & Soda, Giuseppe & Stea, Diego, 2019. "Globally networked: Intraorganizational boundary spanning in the global organization," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 169-180.
    16. Michael J.D. Roberts & Paul W. Beamish, 2017. "The Scaffolding Activities of International Returnee Executives: A Learning Based Perspective of Global Boundary Spanning," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 511-539, June.
    17. Emma Su & Michael Carney, 2013. "Can China’s family firms create intellectual capital?," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 657-675, September.
    18. Dominique Rouzies & Vincent Onyemah & Nikolaos Panagopoulos, 2010. "How HRM Control Affects Boundary-Spanning Employees: Behavioural Strategies and Satisfaction: The Moderating Impact of Cultural Performance Orientation," Post-Print hal-00537919, HAL.
    19. Goerzen, Anthony, 2018. "Small Firm Boundary-spanning via Bridging Ties: Achieving International Connectivity via Cross-border Inter-cluster Alliances," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 153-164.
    20. Gaur, Ajai & Kumar, Mukesh, 2018. "A systematic approach to conducting review studies: An assessment of content analysis in 25years of IB research," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 280-289.
    21. Christoph Zott & Raphael Amit, 2007. "Business Model Design and the Performance of Entrepreneurial Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(2), pages 181-199, April.
    22. Yadong Luo & Oded Shenkar & Haresh Gurnani, 2008. "Control–cooperation interfaces in global strategic alliances: a situational typology and strategic responses," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(3), pages 428-453, April.
    23. Anandasivam Gopal & Sanjay Gosain, 2010. "Research Note ---The Role of Organizational Controls and Boundary Spanning in Software Development Outsourcing: Implications for Project Performance," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 21(4), pages 960-982, December.
    24. Esther Tippmann & Pamela Sharkey Scott & Andrew Parker, 2017. "Boundary Capabilities in MNCs: Knowledge Transformation for Creative Solution Development," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 455-482, June.
    25. Julian Birkinshaw & Tina C. Ambos & Cyril Bouquet, 2017. "Boundary Spanning Activities of Corporate HQ Executives Insights from a Longitudinal Study," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 422-454, June.
    26. Andreas P. J. Schotter & Ram Mudambi & Yves L. Doz & Ajai Gaur, 2017. "Boundary Spanning in Global Organizations," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 403-421, June.
    27. Paul R. Carlile, 2002. "A Pragmatic View of Knowledge and Boundaries: Boundary Objects in New Product Development," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(4), pages 442-455, August.
    28. Mäkelä, Kristiina & Barner-Rasmussen, Wilhelm & Ehrnrooth, Mats & Koveshnikov, Alexei, 2019. "Potential and recognized boundary spanners in multinational corporations," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(4), pages 335-349.
    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. Karimikia, Hadi & Bradshaw, Robert & Singh, Harminder & Ojo, Adegboyega & Donnellan, Brian & Guerin, Michael, 2022. "An emergent taxonomy of boundary spanning in the smart city context – The case of smart Dublin," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    2. Diana Santistevan, 2022. "Boundary-spanning coordination: Insights into lateral collaboration and lateral alignment in multinational enterprises," Post-Print hal-04300612, HAL.
    3. Santistevan, Diana, 2022. "Boundary-spanning coordination: Insights into lateral collaboration and lateral alignment in multinational enterprises," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(3).
    4. Anne Bartel-Radic & Fabienne Munch, 2023. "Cross-cultural boundary spanning activities in a global team," Post-Print halshs-04148890, HAL.
    5. Klaus E. Meyer & Chengguang Li & Andreas P. J. Schotter, 0. "Managing the MNE subsidiary: Advancing a multi-level and dynamic research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-39.
    6. Julia Backmann & Rouven Kanitz & Amy Wei Tian & Patrick Hoffmann & Martin Hoegl, 2020. "Cultural gap bridging in multinational teams," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(8), pages 1283-1311, October.
    7. Klaus E. Meyer & Chengguang Li & Andreas P. J. Schotter, 2020. "Managing the MNE subsidiary: Advancing a multi-level and dynamic research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 538-576, June.
    8. Westney, D. Eleanor & Piekkari, Rebecca & Koskinen, Kaisa & Tietze, Susanne, 2022. "Crossing borders and boundaries: Translation ecosystems in international business," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(5).
    9. Liu, Yipeng & Meyer, Klaus E., 2020. "Boundary spanners, HRM practices, and reverse knowledge transfer: The case of Chinese cross-border acquisitions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(2).
    10. Dey, Bidit L. & Nasef, Youssef Tarek & Brown, David M & Samuel, Lalnunpuia & Singh, Pallavi & Apostolidis, Chrysostomos, 2023. "(Im)migrants’ appropriation of culture: Reciprocal influence of personal and work contexts," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(2).
    11. Dean A. Shepherd & Marc Gruber, 2021. "The Lean Startup Framework: Closing the Academic–Practitioner Divide," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(5), pages 967-998, September.
    12. Furusawa, Masayuki & Brewster, Chris, 2019. "The Determinants of the Boundary-spanning Functions of Japanese Self-initiated Expatriates in Japanese Subsidiaries in China: Individual Skills and Human Resource Management," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(4).
    13. Celo, Sokol & Lehrer, Mark, 2022. "How much lateral collaboration is optimal? Insights from computer simulations of MNEs as complex adaptive systems," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(3).
    14. Caccamo, Marta & Pittino, Daniel & Tell, Fredrik, 2023. "Boundary objects, knowledge integration, and innovation management: A systematic review of the literature," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    15. Claudio Biscaro & Anna Comacchio, 2018. "Knowledge Creation Across Worldviews: How Metaphors Impact and Orient Group Creativity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 289(1), pages 58-79, February.
    16. Ziggers, Gerrit Willem & Tjemkes, Brian, 2010. "Dynamics in Inter‐Firm Collaboration: The Impact of Alliance Capabilities on Performance," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 1(2), pages 1-16.
    17. Tzeng, Cheng-Hua, 2018. "How foreign knowledge spillovers by returnee managers occur at domestic firms: An institutional theory perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 625-641.
    18. Lacoste, Sylvie & Zidani, Kenza & Cuevas, Javier Marcos, 2022. "Lateral collaboration and boundary-spanning from a global leadership perspective: The case of global account managers," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(3).
    19. Pedersen, Torben & Soda, Giuseppe & Stea, Diego, 2019. "Globally networked: Intraorganizational boundary spanning in the global organization," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 169-180.
    20. Gabriela Gutierrez-Huerter O & Jeremy Moon & Stefan Gold & Wendy Chapple, 2020. "Micro-processes of translation in the transfer of practices from MNE headquarters to foreign subsidiaries: The role of subsidiary translators," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(3), pages 389-413, April.

    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:kap:asiapa:v:38:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s10490-019-09696-8. 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.