This work contributes to the theme of ICT outsourcing to PRC. It brings main themes of contemporal chinese economy and society which can enter outsourcing relation and influence it positively or negatively. These complex themes are presented with cultural, socioeconomic and historic relations. Thereof brings the framework for outsourcing to PRC. Themes, problems and opportunities of ICT outsourcing to PRC are based in research of international and local literature as well as own research in enterprise practice. First part of the work deals with term definition and description of ICT market in China. It brings the goal of this work, specify structure, and mentions important information regarding transcription of chinese characters in roman alphabet. Second part specify drivers and risks of outsourcing relations to PRC according to contemporal theories of respected academic authorities. It localise these theories to chinese reality based on statistical reading of international institutions. Third and fourth part deals with problematic of outsourcing relations based on relation lifecycle and case study. He lifecycle comes from MMDIS methodics and is supplemented with problems defined by international literature research. Case study is based on qualitative research and questioning of HP Enterprise Services employees. This part brings new views not included in literature and enrich this work. Fifth part deals with description of typical outsourcing relations. It assess it's suitability for outsourcing to PRC. Assessment is based on the facts and information in previous parts. The final part brings the framework for ICT outsourcing to PRC. It respect facts mentioned in previous parts. Based on that it defines the procedure, roles and documents which are suitable during outsourcing process.

Many information technology (IT) outsourcing initiatives fail, resulting in a high impact on business results and customer satisfaction. Without effective strategies, business leaders who outsource their IT services are at considerable risk of failure and stakeholder dissatisfaction. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore outsourcing strategies that IT managers in Southern Ontario, Canada, used to ensure customer satisfaction. Participants included 9 executives with experience in complex IT outsourcing initiatives. Stakeholder theory and transaction cost economics theory were the conceptual frameworks for the study. Data were gathered using semistructured interviews to query 8 topical areas including IT outsourcing reasons, challenges, and successful solutions. Data analysis using thematic analysis revealed 4 themes: strategic intent for outsourcing, applicable frameworks, risk awareness, and partnership strategies. Key findings included the importance of clients’ and suppliers’ focus on deal principles, innovation, and work-collaboration strategies to enhance performance and customer satisfaction. Information technology managers’ application of the findings of this study may improve business success and contribute to positive social change by revitalizing the clients’ and suppliers’ economies to create job opportunities and improve the quality of lives of employees and their communities.

This diploma thesis deals with the subject of external human resource consultancy. It introduces the comprehensive view on consultancy process and describes in detail the range of human resources agendas associated with consultancy. The entire document links theoretical findings with business practice and demonstrates how the external consultancy can be applied in organizations. It reflects common problems in companies with emphasis on extended description of human resource outsourcing. Empirical part of the thesis looks into on-line offers of consultancy services in human resource management. This topic is subject of qualitative survey aimed at describing contemporary human resources consultancy market in Czech Republic. Survey findings present structure of consultancy services. Key words: consultancy, management consultancy, human resources consultancy, outsourcing, human resources outsourcing (HRO).

The focus of this thesis is the outsourcing of activities in the New Product Development (NPD) process. Outsourcing of NPD refers to the outsourcing of development activities for the developing of new products (goods and/or service), where all or just the innovative part of the NPD process is purchased externally based on a contract with organizational units separate from the outsourcing firm. This definition implies that (A) the activity should be an innovative part of the NPD process, (B) the activity should have previously been conducted internally, and (C) the activity should be purchased under a contractual agreement between the organizations. This thesis focuses on the outsourcing of NPD in medium sized firms. Although the framework is probably also useful for small and large firms, the three empirical studies in the thesis explored samples of medium sized firms. NPD is a knowledge intensive activity that requires the ability to handle uncertainties and is very dependent on the individuals involved in the process. In this way it differs from production, which (especially when producing standard items on a large scale) is easier to control, monitor and to evaluate the costs. Therefore, some considerations connected to knowledge acquisition and uncertainty needs to be addressed. A literature review reveals that research on outsourcing often focuses on A) Large firms and B) outsourcing of production activities. In addition, research on NPD usually involves large firms, despite the fact that the interest in product development in small and medium sized firms has grown rapidly in recent years. Since outsourcing of NPD is a method frequently used to access competence, and reduce costs and/or uncertainty, it seems motivated to study the outsourcing of NPD in medium sized firms. The thesis presents a decision framework that is based on three empirical studies (two survey studies and one case study) and a theoretical framework. The theoretical framework presented in the thesis is commonly used to understand outsourcing questions in general. In the present thesis the framework is applied in the specific situation of outsourcing a knowledge intensive activity (such as NPD) in the context of medium sized firms. Transactions cost, resource based, resource dependency, knowledge based, agency cost, and institutional theories are revisited in the thesis. Outsourcing can lead to advantages in form of lower costs, access to knowledge or other resources, as well as access to markets, but it can also result in a knowledge drain, lower motivation among in-house staff, or an increased level of dependency on external organizations. Therefore the decision to outsource is not always a good one, and the pros and cons must be carefully evaluated. The result of the thesis is a decision framework that maps factors affecting the decisions that need to be made when outsourcing NPD. The implications can be of value to the outsourcing firm as well as to the potential outsourcing partner. The framework has been presented to the firms in the studies and thus has already proved its value to some extent. The framework will also be used for the design of the studies that will hopefully take me towards my PhD degree, including a new survey study as well as a case study focusing on knowledge integration.

Background Temporary work agencies have been around for several decades. An emerging outgrowth from these has been expanding in the industry, known as master vendor arrangements. Furthermore, much research has been devoted to the usage of temporary working agencies but less attention has been devoted to the master vendor arrangements and the consequences from using such an arrangement. Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the strategic decision of implementing a master vendor arrangement offered by a consultant brokerage firm and the impact of such a decision on the company. Method This study is using an inductive approach, where the empirical findings are gathered through semi-structured interviews as well as corporate documents. The empirical findings are collected trough an interview study and analysed through a template analysis. The theoretical framework helped us build our constructs from which we have structured the overall themes in our semi-structured interviews. Conclusions An implementation of a master vendor arrangement is complex and can generate several consequences. In this study we identify six major consequences that end clients have experienced. By considering these factors a greater understanding of how to look upon a master vendor arrangement can be formed.

Dagens allt mer globaliserade värld kräver enkla medel som genererar ekonomisk lönsamhet. Den ökade globaliseringen med de nuvarande kommunikationsmöjligheterna främjar verksamheter till att förflytta produktionen till andra destinationer, för att uppnå konkurrensnivå och erhålla billigare driftkostnader. Offshore outsourcing innebär förflyttning av produktion till från intern provision till en extern enhet som är specialiserad inom styrande och utförande av denna aktivitet. Verksamheter som instiftar offshore outsourcing överlämnar icke- och kärnprocesser till externa parter, som utför samma arbete som den interna verksamheten men för en lägre kostnad. I litteraturen framkommer det att offshore outsourcing genererar minskade kostnader, ökad flexibilitet, ett ökat utnyttjande av teknologi samt tillgången till expertis. Offshoring innebär förflyttningar av affärsfunktioner över nationsgränserna vilket gör att de kan erhålla reduceringar av kostnader, strategiska resurser och behåller marknadsandelar gentemot konkurrenterna. De drivkrafter som finns till varför organisationer förflyttar sin produktion är på grund av det transanktionskostnadsekonomiska perspektivet som de flesta verksamheter innehar. Transanktionskostnadsperspektiv är ett synsätt som definierar alla aspekter vid införandet av offshore outsourcing och offshoring Syftet är att undersöka motiv till förflyttande av kärn-och icke kärnprocesser och undersöka de negativa effekter som medföljer en sådan organisationsförändring. Undersökningen ska besvara hur motiven och effekterna för offshore outsourcing skiljer sig från offshoring. I ett frågeformulär som har skapats utifrån litteratur gällande offshore outsourcing och offshoring, har två olika verksamheter intervjuats om deras erfarenheter om respektive koncept. Utifrån intervjuerna har det framkommit att det finns likheter och skillnader gentemot litteraturen. Verksamheterna har dock en gemensam faktor till införande av offshore outsourcing och offshoring vilket är kostnadsmotiv. Beslutet bakom om en organisation ska genomföra offshore outsourcing eller offshoring cirkulerar kring ett flertal aspekter som beror på organisationsstruktur och förhållanden. Denna studie ska hjälpa framtida företag och privatpersoner att få en djupare inblick kring de båda begreppen för att förhoppningsvis påverka deras val vid införande av rationella organisationsförändringar. Studien ska dessutom hjälpa nuvarande och framtida studenter som vill fördjupa sig och få en bredare bild kring ämnet. / Today's increasingly globalized world requires simple means to generate economic profitability. The increasing globalization of the current communication possibilities promotes the move of production and activities to other destinations, to achieve a higher level of competition and obtain cheaper operating costs. Offshore outsourcing involves moving production from the internal commission to an external unit specialized in directing and conducting this activity. Activities instituting offshore outsourcing submit core and non-core processes to external parties, who perform the same work as the internal organization but for a lower cost. In the literature, it appears that offshore outsourcing generates lower costs, increased flexibility, increased use of technology and access to expertise. Offshoring involves the movement of business functions across national borders, which means that they can achieve reductions in costs, strategic resources and retain market share against competitors.                                         The driving forces to why organizations move their production is due to the Transaction Cost Perspective that most companies holds. The Transaction Cost Perspective is an approach that defines all aspects of the introduction of offshore outsourcing and offshoring. The aim is to investigate the reasons for the moving the core and non-core processes and analyzing the harmful effects that come with such an organizational change. The study will answer how the motives and effects of offshore outsourcing differ from the motives and effects of offshoring. In a questionnaire that has been created based on the theory of offshore outsourcing and offshoring two different businesses were interviewed about their experiences of each concept. Based on the interviews, it has emerged that there are similarities and differences from the literature. The operations, however, has a common factor in the adoption of offshore outsourcing and offshoring, which are cost advantages. The decision behind why an organization to implement offshore outsourcing or offshoring circulates around a number of aspects, depending on their organizational structure and relations. This study should help future businesses and individuals to get a deeper insight on the two concepts to hopefully influence their choices at the introduction of rational organizational changes.

I depart from traditional theories of production fragmentation to allow for the explicit consideration of frictions on the labor and product markets. These are crucial in yielding outcomes that cast some shadows on “optimistic” views of outsourcing that emerge from frictionless models. While in general the overall positive welfare effect is confirmed, the distributional consequences may be particularly adverse for some categories of workers. The three chapters that constitute the thesis deal, respectively, with the role played by the imperfect mobility of workers, imperfect competition in outsourcing industries, and imperfect factor price adjustments.

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An important step in making an impact on the Indian market, Saab India Technology Center, SITC, was inaugurated on October 21, 2011. SITC is a collaboration with the Indian company Tech Mahindra, and supplies all of Saab’s Business Areas with skilled engineers. The growing interest for SITC has spread to TDH, the department for Human Machine Interface and Avionics. Possible benefits, but also challenges, of utilizing SITC have been discussed. This thesis attempts to address challenges and maximize benefits for TDH by exploring how a Swedish R&D organization in the defense industry, that has a tradition of performing most work in-house, can initiate outsourcing to a supplier in India. In order to do this, a literature study was performed. Since gaps in the literature regarding outsourcing in the defense industry were identified, a combination of a descriptive and exploratory research approach was chosen. Following the literature study, interviews were conducted to collect experience from working with external partners at TDH, experience from working with SITC, experience from other companies that have outsourced R&D to India and experience of working with Saab from SITC. Empirical data was also gathered via informal meetings and observations during the researchers’ 5 month stay at TDH in Sweden and SITC in India. The outcome of this study shows that drivers and risks for outsourcing R&D, as well as the characteristics of the outsourcer and the supplier, will influence how the strategy for initiating outsourcing should be built. TDH’s main drivers in deciding to use SITC are mainly cost reduction goals, the possibility to access the Indian defense market and the opportunity to gain knowledge from collaborating with international suppliers. The type of risk that is most urgent for TDH is operational risk. Risks in this category, like overestimating cost reduction and risks associated with not understanding cultural differences are all highly relevant for any organization with limited experience in outsourcing. Strategy wise, the main finding is that an R&D organization in the defense industry will benefit from working in a more collaborative manner than traditional outsourcing entails. In an R&D organization, tasks are often complex and highly integrated with each other which, combined with a limited level of outsourcing experience, requires a tighter collaboration. With a high level of involvement from the outsourcer, problems can be detected early and insufficient requirements can be handled. Close collaboration also enhances knowledge sharing, which is important to ensure that the goal of gaining knowledge from international collaboration is achieved. Furthermore, organizational acceptance can be improved by a collaboration that enables close contact between outsourcer and supplier. Improving acceptance in the organization for collaborating with the supplier should be prioritized in order to strengthen the positive effects of outsourcing.

In the last few years accountancy firms have started to use outsourcing due to market pressure to be competitive. The industry is highly regulated, and outsourcing poses constraints including confidentiality of information, regulatory restriction and ethical implications. The legal and ethical responsibility of any work outsourced remains with the accounting firm that has purchased the outsourcing service, and not with the outsourcer. Since the aim of outsourcing is to make the accounting firm more efficient, it needs to be sure that the benefits of outsourcing will exceeds the costs and risks of the process. As a knowledge-based industry, this gives the sharing of knowledge a central role in outsourcing. Outsourcing in accounting creates a relationship not only between two organisations, but more importantly among those organisations' workers. The main asset of an accounting firm is its staff and their specialist knowledge. Most outsourcing studies focus on the relationship between organisations, with little emphasis on the relationship between workers. A particular quality of accounting is that workers are the owners of their own knowledge, and firms employ these workers without having a definitive right to the sharing of their knowledge. An efficient working environment stems from the workers' ability to share their knowledge (their assets) within the organisation and in an outsourcing process. The objective of this research is to understand the blocks to knowledge-sharing in a medium-sized accounting firm from an individual unit of analysis with focus on its outsourcing operations. This study examines the following research questions: What is the influence of trust and power on knowledge-sharing from the individual perspective? How does accounting outsourcing create a shift in the unit of analysis, and how does it differ from other types of outsourcing? From the perspective of the individuals involved, what are the blocks to knowledge-sharing within the firm and within its outsourcing operations? To be able to study worker relationships and behaviour in detail, data for analysis was gathered using the participant observation method. The study finds that trust and power are important elements that can influence the sharing of knowledge among individuals. The main types of trust that influence knowledge-sharing, particularly in head office, are found to be benevolence and competence trust, while one of the main factors to influence trust within the outsourcing context is communication. Lack of communication creates fear among in-house staff and thus makes outsourcing contractors less trustworthy. Power is mainly driven by specificity of knowledge and individualism; these two factors promote the use of knowledge as a power tool. Trust and power are blocks to knowledge-sharing in the organisation's in-house activities, but are less influential in blocking knowledge in outsourcing, where the two main blockages are: (i) Physical distance and lack of suitable technological platform to share knowledge, and (ii) Gap in knowledge awareness between the accounting firm and the outsourcing provider. Accounting outsourcing is shown to be different from other types because it is the outsourcing of a core competence (known as third generation outsourcing), and also of knowledge-based work. The accounting firm uses outsourcing within its legal and ethical limits, reducing costs indirectly, because it has to negotiate the profession's constraints. In this context there are two types of outsourcing, namely internal and external outsourcing. This research applies participant observation to an original context and shows the importance of using such a method in future management studies.