Explaining Endogenous Control Change in Outsourced Software Projects

Krancher, Oliver; Huber, Thomas; Dibbern, Jens (2015). Explaining Endogenous Control Change in Outsourced Software Projects (Unpublished). In: The 9th Global Sourcing Workshop. La Thuile, Italy. 18.-21.02.2015.

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Given the centrality of control for achieving success in outsourced software projects, past research has identified key exogenous factors that determine the choice of controls. This view of exogenously driven control choice is based on a number of assumptions; particularly, clients and vendors are seen as separate cognitive entities that combat opportunistic threats under environmental uncertainty by one-off choices or infrequent revisions of controls. In this paper we complement this perspective by acknowledging that an outsourced software project may be characterized as a collective, evolving process faced with the challenge of coping with cognitive limitations of both client and vendor through a continuous process of learning. We argue that if viewed in this way, controls are less subject of a deliberate choice but rather are subject of endogenously driven change, i.e. controls evolve in close interaction with the evolving software project. Accordingly, we suggest a complementary model of endogenous control, where controls mediate individual and collective learning processes. Our research contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics in outsourced software projects. It also spells out methodological implications that may help improve cross-section control research.

Item Type:

Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Division/Institute:

03 Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences > Department of Business Management > Institute of Information Systems > Information Engineering
03 Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences > Department of Business Management > Institute of Information Systems

UniBE Contributor:

Krancher, Oliver Jürgen, Huber, Thomas, Dibbern, Jens

Subjects:

000 Computer science, knowledge & systems
600 Technology > 650 Management & public relations
300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 330 Economics

Projects:

[229] IT Outsourcing Governance

Language:

English

Submitter:

Oliver Jürgen Krancher

Date Deposited:

25 Aug 2015 13:17

Last Modified:

02 Mar 2023 23:26

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/71140

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