Abstract
The risk associated with offshoring is a recurrent theme in research. However, previous research has mainly given a static picture of offshoring risks even though the strategies of offshoring firms, including their views on risks, may change as they gain experience in the field. In this chapter we investigate the influence of organizational learning on firms’ perceptions of the risks in offshoring. We use survey data from firms in Scandinavia and compare the risk assessments of firms without offshoring experience with firms that engage in offshoring. The findings show that firms without offshoring experience particularly stress exogenous risks while firms with offshoring experience see the endogenous risks as important. We offer two different interpretations of these results.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Amiti M, Wei S (2009) Service offshoring and productivity: evidence from the US. World Econ 32:203–220
Argyres NS, Mayer KJ (2007) Contract design as a firm capability: an integration of learning and transaction cost perspectives. Acad Manag Rev 32:1060–1077
British Computer Society (BCS) (2009) Offshoring—exporting costs, but importing risks? http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.3914
Blum D (2004) Weigh risks of offshore outsourcing. http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2004/0308blum.html
Brockhaus RH (1980) Risk-taking propensity of entrepreneurs. Acad Manag J 23:509–520
Bunyaratavej K, Hahn ED, Doh JP (2008) Multinational investment and host country development: location efficiencies for services offshoring. J World Bus 43:227–242
Bunyaratavej K, Doh JP, Hahn ED, Lewin AY, Massini S (2011) Conceptual issues in services offshoring research: a multidisciplinary review. Group Organ Manag 36(1):70–102
Carmel E, Agarwal R (2002) The maturation of offshore sourcing of IT work. Manag Inf Syst Q: Executive 1:65–77
Davison D (2003) Top ten risks of offshore outsourcing. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-299274.html
Deloitte (2008) The risk intelligent approach to outsourcing and offshoring, Risk Intelligence Series, No. 8
Dibbern J, Winkler J, Heinzl A (2008) Explaining variations in client extra costs between software projects offshored to India. MIS Q 32:333–366
Dossani R, Kenney M (2003) Went for costs, stayed for quality? Moving the back office to India. Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University, CA
Dossani R, Kenney M (2007) The next wave of globalization: relocating service provision to India. World Dev 35:772–791
Ellram LM, Tate WL, Billington C (2008) Offshore outsourcing of professional services: a transaction cost economics perspective. J Oper Manag 26:148–163
Farrell D (2005) Offshoring: value creation through economic change. J Manag Stud 42:675–683
Hätönen J, Eriksson T (2009) 30+ years of research and practice of outsourcing—exploring the past and anticipating the future. J Int Manag 15:142–155
Harwood IA, Ward SC, Chapman CB (2009) A grounded exploration of organisational risk propensity. J Risk Res 12:563–579
Jain NK, Kundu SK, Niederman FA (2008) Offshoring propensity in information technology services: a firm and country level analysis. Manag Int Rev 48:447–461
Jensen PDØ (2009) A learning perspective on the offshoring of advanced services. J Int Manag 15:181–193
Jensen PDØ, Pedersen T (2011) The economic geography of offshoring: the fit between activities and local context. J Manag Stud 48:352–372
Kedia BL, Lahiri S (2007) International outsourcing of services: a partnership model. J Int Manag 13:22–37
Kedia BL, Mukherjee D (2009) Understanding offshoring: a research framework based on disintegration, location and externalization advantages. J World Bus 44:250–261
Kern T, Willcocks L, van Heck E (2006) The winner’s curse in outsourcing: how to avoid relational trauma. In: Willcocks L, Lacity M (eds) Global sourcing of business and IT services. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp 114–144
Kotabe M (1989) Hollowing-out of U.S. multinationals and their global competitiveness. J Bus Res 19:1–15
Kotabe M, Mol MJ, Murray JY (2009) Global sourcing strategy. In: Kotabe M, Helsen K (eds) The SAGE handbook of international marketing. Sage, London, pp 288–302
Kotabe M, Mol MJ, Ketkar S (2008) An evolutionary stage model of outsourcing and competence destruction: a triad comparison of the consumer electronics industry. Manag Int Rev 48:65–93
Kotabe M, Mudambi R (2009) Global sourcing and value creation: opportunities and challenges. J Int Manag 15:121–125
Kumar K, Van Fenema PC, von Glinow MA (2009) Offshoring and the global distribution of work: implications for task interdependence theory and practice. J Int Bus Stud 40:642–667
Lacity M, Rottman J (2008) Offshore outsourcing of IT work. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndsmill, pp 1–53
Lei D, Hitt MA (1995) Strategic restructuring and outsourcing: the effect of mergers and acquisitions and LBOs on building firm skills and capabilities. J Manag 21:835–859
Levinthal DA, March JG (1993) The myopia of learning. Strateg Manag J 14:95–112
Levitt B, March JG (1988) Organ Learn. Annual Review of Sociology 14:319–340
Lewin AY, Peeters C (2006) Offshoring work: business hype or the onset of fundamental transformation? Long Range Plan 39:221–239
Lewin AY, Massini S, Peeters C (2009) Why are companies offshoring innovation? The emerging global race for talent. J Int Bus Stud 40:901–925
Manning S, Massini S, Lewin AY (2008) A dynamic perspective on next-generation offshoring: the global sourcing of science and engineering talent. Acad Manag Perspect 22:35–54
March JG, Simon HA (1958) Organizations. Wiley, New York
Maskell P, Pedersen T, Petersen B, Dick-Nielsen J (2007) Learning paths to offshore outsourcing: from cost reduction to knowledge seeking. Ind Innov 14:239–257
Mitchell V-W (1995) Organizational risk perception and reduction: A literature review. Br J Manag 6:115–133
Mol MJ (2007) Outsourcing: design, process, performance. Cambridge University, Cambridge
Mudambi SM, Tallman S (2010) Make, buy or ally? Theoretical perspectives on knowledge process outsourcing through alliances. J Manag Stud (Forthcoming) 47(8):1434–1456
Nelson RR, Winter SG (1982) An evolutionary theory of economic change. Harvard University Press, Cambridge
Quinn JB (1999) Strategic outsourcing: leveraging knowledge capabilities. Sloan Manag Rev 40:9–21
Quinn JB, Hilmer FG (1994) Strategic outsourcing. Sloan Manag Rev 35:43–55
Schramm-Nielsen J, Lawrence P, Sivesind KH (2004) Management in Scandinavia—culture, context and change. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
Simon HA (1957) Administrative behaviour. Wiley, New York
Sitkin SB, Weingart LR (1995) Determinants of risky decision-making behavior: a test of the mediating role of risk perceptions and propensity. Acad Manag J 38:1573–1592
Stringfellow A, Teagarden MB, Nie W (2008) Invisible costs in offshoring services work. J Oper Manag 26:164–179
Vivek SD, Richey RG, Dalela V (2009) A longitudinal examination of partnership governance in offshoring: a moving target. J World Bus 44:16–30
Vlek V, Stallen PJ (1980) Rational and personal aspects of risk. Acta Psychol 45:273–300
Williamson OE (2008) Outsourcing: transaction cost economics and supply chain management. J Supply Chain Manag 44:5–16
Zaheer S, Lamin A, Subramani M (2009) Cluster capabilities or ethnic ties? Location choice by foreign and domestic entrants in the services offshoring industry in India. J Int Bus Stud 40:944–968
Zollo M, Gottschalg O (2004) When does experience hurt? The confidence-competence paradox. INSEAD-Wharton, working paper series, Philadelphia 2004/83
Zollo M (2004) Superstitious learning revisited: outcome ambiguity and confidence traps in corporate acquisitions. Paper presented at the Nordic workshop in international business, Nordic
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag London
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Jensen, P.D.Ø., Pedersen, T., Petersen, B. (2013). Do Expectations Match Reality When Firms Consider the Risks of Offshoring? A Comparison of Risk Assessment by Firms with and Without Offshoring Experience. In: Pedersen, T., Bals, L., Ørberg Jensen, P., Larsen, M. (eds) The Offshoring Challenge. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4908-8_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4908-8_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4907-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4908-8
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)