Collaboration in multi-sourcing: critical to supplier success?

Abstract

Previous scholarly research in the IT outsourcing domain has mainly focussed on dyadic sourcing relationships and usually taking the client firm perspective. This research synthesizes IT outsourcing literature with state of the art in multi sourcing to propose a framework of success factors that suppliers should focus on when engaging into multi-sourcing. An explanatory, case-study is used to specifically study the criticality of collaboration for an infrastructure supplier engaged in a global IT multi-sourcing arrangement. The results indicate that collaboration is indeed an important success factor but may not influence all components of success. To successfully collaborate, management attention should be given to relational governance complementing formal control mechanisms. Suppliers require an adaptive capability and the governing role of the client should be clearly documented. This research contributes to IS literature by providing a framework of CSF for suppliers in global IT multi-sourcing engagements, with emphasis on mechanisms that support collaboration.

Date of Award	16 Jan 2020
Original language	English
Supervisor	F.J. (Fred) Heemstra (Examiner) & Rob Kusters (Co-assessor)