The Role of Coordinators in Software Off-Shoring: A Knowledge Management Perspective

This paper explains the roles of coordinators in software offshoring, and explores the collaboration of coordinators, the client and the vendor to co-create new knowledge for the both organizations. The focus is a case of software offshore outsourcing from Japan to Vietnam. Our analysis shows that the coordinators fill the communication, cultural, business and technical gaps by being involved in the process as both outsiders (as coordinators, arbitrators) and insiders (by joining directly in the production process). The implication of this study is that the coordinators could involve with strong power in the international partnership; such as in high-tech sector by the collaboration with two partners through sharing, creating, and utilizing bridging-knowledge to create extra value and increase the service quality and user satisfaction.

[1]  Stephen Bochner,et al.  1 – The social psychology of cross-cultural relations , 1982 .

[2]  Praveen Pathak,et al.  Knowledge sharing and cooperation in outsourcing projects - A game theoretic analysis , 2007, Decis. Support Syst..

[3]  S. Barley.  Semiotics and the Study of Occupational and Organizational Cultures. , 1983 .

[4]  Tania Saba,et al.  Selecting and Developing the Global versus the Expatriate Manager: A Review of the State-of-the-Art , 1998 .

[5]  Niels Bjørn-Andersen,et al.  Offshore middlemen: transnational intermediation in technology sourcing , 2008, J. Inf. Technol..

[6]  M. Tushman.  Special Boundary Roles in the Innovation Process. , 1977 .

[7]  Deborah G. . Ancona,et al.  Bridging the Boundary: External Activity and Performance in Organizational Teams. , 1992 .

[8]  Jae-Nam Lee,et al.  The impact of knowledge sharing, organizational capability and partnership quality on IS outsourcing success , 2001, Inf. Manag..

[9]  Audris Mockus,et al.  An Empirical Study of Speed and Communication in Globally Distributed Software Development , 2003, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[10]  Vanita Yadav,et al.  Flexible Global Software Development (GSD): Antecedents of Success in Requirements Analysis , 2009, J. Glob. Inf. Manag..

[11]  Richard D. Hays,et al.  Expatriate Selection: Insuring Success and Avoiding Failure , 1974 .

[12]  Katsuhiro Umemoto,et al.  Knowledge Transfer in Offshore Outsourcing: A Case Study of Japanese and Vietnamese Software Companies , 2011, Journal of Global Information Management.

[13]  Leslie P. Willcocks,et al.  Managing Dispersed Expertise in IT Offshore Outsourcing: Lessons from Tata Consultancy Services , 2007, MIS Q. Executive.

[14]  Shyam R. Chidamber.  An Analysis of Vietnam's ICT and Software Services Sector , 2003, Electron. J. Inf. Syst. Dev. Ctries..

[15]  Sundeep Sahay,et al.  Managing cross-cultural issues in global software outsourcing , 2004, CACM.

[16]  E. Hippel.  The dominant role of users in the scientific instrument innovation process , 1993 .

[17]  S. Balaji,et al.  Critical Team-Level Success Factors of Offshore Outsourced Projects: A Knowledge Integration Perspective , 2005, Proceedings of the 38th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

[18]  Stephen I. Cohen,et al.  Information Flow in Research and Development Laboratories. , 1969 .

[19]  Ravi Aron,et al.  Getting offshoring right. , 2005, Harvard business review.

[20]  Muhammad Ali Babar,et al.  Establishing and maintaining trust in software outsourcing relationships: An empirical investigation , 2007, J. Syst. Softw..

[21]  R. Friedman,et al.  Differentiation of Boundary Spanning Roles: Labor Negotiations and Implications for Role Conflict , 1992 .

[22]  Leslie P. Willcocks,et al.  Outsourcing Global Services , 2008 .

[23]  Leslie P. Willcocks,et al.  Exploring information technology outsourcing relationships: theory and practice , 2000, J. Strateg. Inf. Syst..

[24]  William Acar,et al.  Offshoring and Cross-Border Interorganizational Relationships: A Justice Model , 2008, Decis. Sci..

[25]  Everett V. Stonequist.  The Problem of the Marginal Man , 1935, American Journal of Sociology.

[26]  Mats Alvesson,et al.  The Meaning and Meaninglessness of Postmodernism: Some Ironic Remarks , 1995 .

[27]  L. Smircich.  Concepts of Culture and Organizational Analysis. , 1983 .

[28]  Howard E. Aldrich,et al.  Boundary Spanning Roles and Organization Structure , 1977 .

[29]  F. Blackler.  Knowledge, Knowledge Work and Organizations: An Overview and Interpretation , 1995 .

[30]  L. Empson.  Fear of Exploitation and Fear of Contamination: Impediments to Knowledge Transfer in Mergers between Professional Service Firms , 2001 .