Multi-sourcing Governance: In Perception and in Practice

Multi-sourcing has emerged as an important pushing force on the global growth of ITO contracts. However, most of our understanding in various aspects of ITO still derives from dyadic client-vendor relationships. With a single case study on the ITO governance among a client and its two suppliers, I strive to increase the understanding on governance in the specific context of multi-sourcing. Departing from the theoretical framework aligning governance mechanism and governance structures, the case analysis reveals the diverging perception and practice of governance, which have caused the tension and conflicts among the multi-sourcing participants. With implications on both theory and practice, the findings shed lights on the understanding of conflicts and restructuring of supplier relationships in multi-sourcing situation.