Organizational Learning and Capabilities for Onshore and Offshore Business Process Outsourcing

Journal of Management Information Systems (26:3) 2011, 11-42

Robert H. Smith School Research Paper No. RHS 2634242

44 Pages Posted: 23 Jul 2015

See all articles by Jonathan Whitaker

Jonathan Whitaker

University of Richmond, Robins School of Business

Sunil Mithas

University of South Florida

Mayuram S. Krishnan

University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Date Written: April 21, 2010

Abstract

This paper identifies and analyses firm-level characteristics that facilitate onshore and offshore business process outsourcing (BPO). We complement and extend prior IS outsourcing research using organizational economics by using organizational learning and capabilities to develop a conceptual model. We test the conceptual model with archival data on a broad cross-section of U.S. firms. Our empirical findings indicate that firms with experience in onshore IT outsourcing (ITO) and capabilities related to IT coordination applications and business process codification are more likely to engage in BPO, firms with experience in internationalization are more likely to engage in offshore BPO, IT coordination applications have a greater impact on onshore BPO than on offshore BPO, and the effect of business process codification is partly mediated through ITO.

Keywords: BPO, capabilities, information systems, IT, offshoring, organizational economics, organizational learning, outsourcing

Suggested Citation

Whitaker, Jonathan and Mithas, Sunil and Krishnan, Mayuram S., Organizational Learning and Capabilities for Onshore and Offshore Business Process Outsourcing (April 21, 2010). Journal of Management Information Systems (26:3) 2011, 11-42, Robert H. Smith School Research Paper No. RHS 2634242, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2634242

Jonathan Whitaker (Contact Author)

University of Richmond, Robins School of Business ( email )

1 Gateway Road
Richmond, VA 23229
United States
804.287.6524 (Phone)
804.289.8878 (Fax)

Sunil Mithas

University of South Florida ( email )

Tampa, FL 33620
United States

Mayuram S. Krishnan

University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business ( email )

701 Tappan Street
Ann Arbor, MI MI 48109
United States
734-763-6749 (Phone)

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