Knowledge Transfer Processes in the IS Offshore Outsourcing Transition: A Conceptual Model

Krancher, Oliver; Dibbern, Jens (2011). Knowledge Transfer Processes in the IS Offshore Outsourcing Transition: A Conceptual Model. Sprouts : working papers on information environments, systems and organizations, 11(145). Information Systems Department in Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University

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Despite promising cost saving potential, many offshore software projects fail to realize the expected benefits. A frequent source of failure lies in the insufficient transfer of knowledge during the transition phase. Former literature has reported cases where some domains of knowledge were successfully transferred to vendor personnel whereas others were not. There is further evidence that the actual knowledge transfer processes often vary from case to case. This raises the question whether there is a systematic relationship between the chosen knowledge transfer process and know-ledge transfer success. This paper introduces a dynamic perspective that distinguishes different types of knowledge transfer processes explaining under which circumstances which type is deemed most appropriate to successfully transfer knowledge. Our paper draws on knowledge transfer literature, the Model of Work-Based Learning and theories from cognitive psychology to show how characteristics of know-ledge and the absorptive capacity of knowledge recipients fit particular knowledge transfer processes. The knowledge transfer processes are conceptualized as combinations of generic knowledge transfer activities. This results in six gestalts of know-ledge transfer processes, each representing a fit between the characteristics of the knowledge process and the characteristics of the knowledge to be transferred and the absorptive capacity of the knowledge recipient.

Item Type:

Conference or Workshop Item (Abstract)

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, Dibbern, Jens

Subjects:

600 Technology > 650 Management & public relations

ISSN:

1535-6078

Publisher:

Information Systems Department in Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University

Projects:

[230] Knowledge Transfer in IT Outsourcing

Language:

English

Submitter:

Fabio Elia Isler

Date Deposited:

16 Apr 2014 16:09

Last Modified:

02 Mar 2023 23:24

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Knowledge Transfer, Offshore Outsourcing, Transition Phase, Work-Based Learning, Cognitive Load Theory

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.41803

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/41803

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