preview

Outsourcing Strategy: A Recent Literature Review and Model Update

Best Essays

OUTSOURCING STRATEGY: A RECENT LITERATURE REVIEW AND MODEL UPDATE

By
LINA FERIA
BUAD 591

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON
Abstract

The importance of including an outsourcing strategy in the overall firm's operations has become increasingly important over the last decade. Companies in the U.S. pay about $68 billion every year to other companies for outsourced services and although a major part of these contracts succeed, there is an increasing concern due to recent broken deals. A recent study shows that 80% of companies that outsource their customer based functions are failing to meet their cost savings targets. Usually companies fail to budget hidden outsourcing costs such as customer dissatisfaction that can eventually …show more content…

The first one is the industry and the second one is the new technologies that become an important part of the core business of the firm. Following the external forces are the internal reasons that push a firm to outsource. Although many have been identified in the literature, the most relevant refer to reduction of costs, focus on the core business, avoid the investment in specific assets and increase in efficiency and performance. A ranking of these reasons is presented in Figure 2 (Pai, 2007).

The proposed model highlights the four most important forces of strategic outsourcing: Suppliers, Customers, Employees, and the firm's comparative advantage.

Comparative and Competitive Advantage

It is important to understand the implications of comparative and competitive advantage in outsourcing. Comparative advantage theory explains that it may be beneficial for two parties (countries, regions, individuals and so on) to trade if one has a lower relative cost of producing some good. It takes into account the opportunity cost instead of the absolute cost of production of one good to evaluate the sourcing strategies that are beneficial for both parties.

The gains from outsourcing are well explained by this trade theory. In a simplified world with only two firms that produce two goods, trade will allow each firm to specialize in their production in a way that allocates resources to their

Get Access