Jasmin Kaiser

Organizational design of IT supplier relationship management: a multiple case study of five client companies

This papers shows that the management of contractual relationships in IS/IT outsourcing is not only receiving greater attention in academic research, but that it has also moved into focus of companies with high outsourcing degrees. This shift of management attention is accompanied by observable changes in IT organizations’ design, revealing an underrepresented but promising research topic. While prior research has predominantly explored single aspects, for example, supplier selection or relationship building, this article takes a more holistic approach on IT supplier relationship management (SRM) with a focus on organizational design. A conceptual framework, covering three core elements of organizational design, strategy, structure and process, guided the multiple case study on IT SRM in five client IT organizations. One key finding from sourcing strategy is that IT organizations have in parts significantly and abruptly reduced their number of suppliers in the last years, a phenomenon typically well known in the automobile industry. With regard to structure, different organizational models are presented, varying upon their degree of centralization and mode of sourcing. The concept of a hybrid (centralized-decentralized) structure, where a central unit fulfills SRM activities, was shown to be the predominant model within our case organizations. Design and potential benefits of this barely examined model are discussed in detail and empirical examples are provided respectively. As a third organizational design component, formal processes and lateral connections are presented as a means to bridge barriers between organizational entities central to IT SRM. Finally, various opportunities for future research are illustrated.

A Two-Sided Perspective on Supplier Dependence in IS Outsourcing Dyads

Whilst client dependence on an IT supplier is already a well-known risk in IS outsourcing relationships, investigations of the supplier side of dependence have been largely neglected. This contradicts traditional dependence research, which suggests to incorporate the respective dependence of both parties in a bilateral exchange relationship. This paper attempts to close this research gap and investigates supplier dependence in five outsourcing relationships with two-sided data. Furthermore, it proposes a conceptualization of supplier dependence and applies two central dyadic constructs from reference disciplines, namely relative and joint dependence, on IS outsourcing relationships.

Analyzing Client Dependence in Dyadic IS Outsourcing Relationships

Dependence on an IT supplier is a well-known risk for client companies in IS outsourcing. However, little research efforts have been made to compare both exchange partners’ dependencies in an IS outsourcing setting. This contradicts with traditional dependence research which views this concept as a property of a relation and not as an attribute of an organization. A case study of five IS outsourcing relationships provides insights into un-/balanced and joint dependencies in a dyad. To explain variances in client dependence, the dependence construct is broken down into its constituting facets. Besides an information system’s importance and supplier’s substitutability, spillover effects emerged as an unanticipated third determinant. Originating from other exchange relationships with the IT supplier, these effects can distort the dependence structure in the focal relationship.

Relative and Joint Dependence in IS Outsourcing Relationships – A Model of Effects on Relational Facets and Exchange Performance

Building on dependence research, this conceptual article presents a research model encompassing anticipated effects of interdependence on IS outsourcing relationships. A dyadic perspective incorporating client and supplier dependence enables determining two basic constructs: relative and joint dependence. We discuss their expected effects on relationship quality and exchange performance. While joint dependence generally yields positive outcomes, high relative dependence and the dominant party’s exercise of exploitative power might produce two countervailing effects: use of a power advantage is theorized to be beneficial for the dominant party, allowing structuring the exchange to that party’s benefit, yet as a possible detrimental side effect, power use can diminish the relationship’s value-generating potential and decrease performance outcomes for both the weak and the dominant party. This leads to the question of whether and to what extent it is reasonable to leave power potentials untapped. A two-sided survey is planned to provide empirical data for testing our hypotheses.

Abgrenzung und Analyse von Software-Clustern am Beispiel der Region Rhein-Main-Neckar

Demarcation and analysis of software-clusters. The example of the Rhine-Main-Neckar region. In this paper we present an approach to demarcate and analyze spatial clusters in the software industry using qualitative as well as quantitative methods. Our approach is based on economic data regarding entrepreneurship, gross value added and spatial agglomeration of enterprises and employees. We apply this method on the Rhine-Main-Neckar area, one of Germany’s most prominent regions for software companies. Subsequently, we conduct a qualitative follow-up study to gain deeper insights and to verify prior results from the quantitative study. Our results indicate the existence of a software-cluster with two centers in the Rhine-Main area as well as in the Rhine-Neckar district.Among the analyzed indicators, the concentration of employees in software companies shows the highest amplitude, although entrepreneurship, concentration of businesses as well as gross value added are all significantly above the German average.