The Role of Cluster Presence and Quality Certification in Internationalization and Performance of Offshore Service Providers

Offshore Service Providers (OSPs) have been a subject of research for several years now. However, there is little known about what drives the internationalization of OSPs. In this paper, we combine insights from economic geography and institutional view to investigate cluster presence and quality certification as the drivers of OSP internationalization and their performance. We hypothesize the facilitating role these two factors play in driving the performance of internationalized firms. We test our hypotheses using data from Indian software firms between 1992 and 2002. We find a positive effect of certification on OSP internationalization. Although certification contributes negatively to OSP performance, it positively moderates the performance effect of OSP internationalization. Cluster presence was found to drive OSP's overall performance, but has no effect on internationalization. Through our findings, we contribute towards the literature on OSP internationalization.     

IT外包关系质量研究

建立高效率的关系,对于企业IT外包活动的成功有着重要的影响。营销学中的关系质量概念对于有效衡量IT外包关系以及关系的绩效,起了很强的推动作用。在文献梳理的基础上,通过结合当前研究的最新趋势,对IT外包中的关系质量研究现状做一述评,并在此基础上提出有关管理实践和研究的建议。     

IT外包中关系质量、知识共享与外包绩效关系研究

论文提出了IT外包双方关系质量的五个维度:信任、有效沟通、承诺、相互依赖及和谐冲突管理;建立了IT外包中双方关系质量、知识共享及外包绩效关系模型,提出了相关假设;对西安软件园、北京中关村软件园、上海浦东软件园的20家从事IT外包业务的企业中高层管理人员进行访谈调查,同时在这些企业中对参与IT外包项目的 391名员工进行问卷调查。利用统计分析软件SPSS17.0和AMOS17.0对收集的279份有效问卷进行数据分析,结果表明:关系质量既直接影响外包绩效,也通过知识共享间接影响外包绩效,给IT外包企业提供了管理启示。     

Offshoring Business Process Services and Governance Control Mechanisms: An Examination of Service Providers from India

As emerging markets increasingly rely on service businesses through offshore outsourcing, we examine the role of governance control mechanisms in improving performance among business process outsourcing (BPO) service providers in India. Using data collected from 205 emerging market‐based BPO service providers in India, we examine the antecedents and consequences of establishing governance control mechanisms in BPO service providers. Specifically, we examine how structural (use of contracts with the client), administrative (effective allocation and demarcation of responsibilities within the firm), and relational (collaboration and information sharing with the client) mechanisms drive the performance of a BPO service provider operating in an emerging market. We also examine how key task‐related (task connectivity and task security) and client‐related (end customer orientation and global control) antecedents influence the use of different governance control approaches in this environment. Our analysis finds that both task connectivity and task security significantly impact use of structural and administrative mechanisms, whereas end customer orientation is significantly associated with the strength of the relational mechanisms governing the emerging market‐based BPO service provider and its client. Further global control significantly influences the strength of the structural mechanisms between the client and the BPO service provider. Finally, the three mechanisms have a complementary influence in driving the BPO service provider's performance.     

服务供应链管理、顾客满意与企业绩效

本研究构建了服务供应链管理活动同顾客满意及企业绩效间的结构方程模型,并以来自中国民航服务业的数据进行了实证分析。结果显示服务企业的领导力不仅对服务供应链的战略管理和运作管理活动有正影响效应,还对企业服务信息系统的构建有积极影响;企业文化对企业战略层面的服务供应链管理计划、协作关系的构建、整合服务资源等服务供应链战略管理活动有显著影响;服务供应链战略管理活动、运作管理活动和顾客信息系统的构建通过有效提升顾客满意感、可以增加企业绩效。     

Capability,Quality, and Performance of Offshore IS Vendors: A Theoretical Framework and Empirical Investigation

Information systems (IS) offshoring has become a widespread practice and a strategic sourcing choice for many firms. While much has been written by researchers about the factors that lead to successful offshoring arrangements from the client's viewpoint, the vendor's perspective has been largely scarce. The vendor perspective is equally important as offshore IS vendors need to make important decisions in terms of delivering operational and strategic performance and aligning their resources and processes in order to meet or exceed targeted outcomes. In this article, we propose and test a three‐level capability–quality–performance (CQP) theoretical framework to understand vendor outcomes and their antecedents. The first level of the framework represents three vendor capabilities: relationship management, contract management, and information technology management. The second level has three mediating variables representing process quality: partnership, service, and deliverable quality. The third level has three dependent variables representing vendor outcomes: operational performance, strategic performance, and satisfaction. The model was tested with 188 vendor firms from India and China, the two most popular destinations for IS offshoring. Results support the CQP framework; vendor capabilities are significant predictors of intermediate quality measures, which in turn affect vendor outcomes. Implications of the study findings to both theory development and IS offshore vendor strategic decision making are discussed.     

服务质量管理研究的回顾与现状探析

服务经济时代,服务质量管理是服务运作和服务营销的重要研究问题之一。通过对服务质量形成机制、评价及管理三个领域文献的搜集与整理发现,此类研究可归纳为由两个条件和两部分内容组成的服务质量管理模型:Gronroos的顾客感知服务质量和PZB的五差距等差距模型反映了服务质量的核心形成机制,顾客特征及心理因素是其重要影响因素;SERVQUAL作为典型的服务质量测量表,常被与模糊数学、DEMATEL法综合运用于服务质量评价与改进;服务质量管理包括以服务接触相关要素管理为主的功能质量管理和以服务质量系统改进为主的技术质量管理。此外,网络环境下,服务质量具有特殊的形成机制,决定了其评价与管理的新特点。当前,在服务科学框架下进行服务质量管理研究渐成趋势,未来研究可结合网络特征和新兴服务业,关注服务质量动态特征及科学评价方法,展开行业或城市层面的服务质量管理研究。     

控制,吸收能力与知识转移——基于离岸IT服务外包业的实证研究

离岸IT服务外包是一个知识密集过程,从海外客户到国内供应商的有效知识转移是成功的关键。然而,针对客户的不同控制模式和供应商的吸收能力对显性和隐性知识转移的不同影响,以及这两种知识转移对绩效影响的实证研究还极其有限。本文基于一项问卷调查,发现客户的正式控制对显性知识转移的影响比非正式控制的作用更强。隐性知识转移比显性知识转移更依赖于供应商的吸收能力,显性知识转移对隐性知识转移有积极促进作用。研究还显示,正式控制对离岸IT服务外包绩效有直接影响,但知识转移对外包绩效的影响并不显著。     

关系品质对服务补救效果的调节作用

在关于服务补救的文献中,许多研究过于强调服务补救属性本身对补救后顾客态度和行为意向的影响。其实,它们不仅仅取决于类似于特定服务补救属性的感觉要素,还取决于类似于关系品质这样的知觉要素。为了揭示知觉要素对服务补救效果的重要性,本文以关系品质作为调节变量来考察它对服务补救过程中顾客的态度标识参数和行为意向的影响,发现关系品质对于服务补救效果确实存在着积极的调节作用,并根据这一发现提出了相应的营销建议。最后,文章给出了本研究的局限和未来的研究方向。     

服务质量决定要因顾客满足和行动意图的影响--在中国服务产业的应用

为维持现有顾客和创造新顾客,服务企业必须知道怎样实施服务质量战略来增加顾客满足和行动意图,因为服务质量、顾客满足和顾客行动意图之间存在着因果关系.本研究把整体服务质量分解为相互作用质量、物理环境质量、结果质量三个决定要因,并对服务质量决定要因对顾客满足和行动意图的影响进行了研究,实证检验在中国服务产业中进行.对研究模型的验证结果支持本研究提出的所有因果假设,即构成整体服务质量的三个决定要因对顾客满足具有显著的正向影响,顾客满足对行动意图具有显著的正向影响.而且,对于中国顾客来说,服务质量决定要因对顾客满足的相对影响力依次为"结果质量"＞"相互作用质量"＞"物理环境质量".     

The Impact of Quality Management Practices on Performance and Competitive Advantage

As decision makers become more involved in implementing Total Quality Management, questions are raised about which management practices should be emphasized. In this exploratory investigation of the relationship of specific quality management practices to quality performance, a framework was constructed. It focuses on both core quality management practices and on the infrastructure that creates an environment supportive of their use. In addition, it incorporates two measures of quality performance and their role in establishing and sustaining a competitive advantage. Path analysis was used to test the proposed model, with multiple regression analysis determining the path coefficients, which were decomposed into their various effects. Weak linkages were eliminated. The trimmed model indicated that perceived quality market outcomes were primarily related to statistical control/feedback and the product design process, while the internal measure of percent that passed final inspection without requiring rework was strongly related to process flow management and to statistical control/feedback, to a lesser extent. Both measures of quality performance were related to competitive advantage. Important infrastructure components included top management support and workforce management. Supplier relationships and work attitudes were also related to some of the core quality practices and quality performance measures. The results were interpreted in light of Hill's concept of order winners and order qualifiers and Garvin's eight dimensions of quality. They indicate that different core quality management practices lead to success in different dimensions of quality, and that those dimensions function differently as order winners and order qualifiers.     

基于服务化的制造企业与服务提供商的演化博弈分析

制造企业从传统制造向服务型制造转变是其转型升级、提升竞争力的重要路径之一。而企业在转型过程中受自身资源约束,往往需要服务提供商的配合。本文在构建制造企业与服务企业的收益函数基础上,建立两方非对称演化博弈模型,探究制造企业与服务提供商合作实施服务化策略的规律,并运用MATLAB仿真,深入研究相关因素对制造企业与服务提供商合作实施服务化策略的影响作用。研究表明,制造企业对服务提供商所提供服务的依赖度、服务化制造企业与未服务化制造企业间的差异化竞争度、双方合作前后的收益和成本、合作不成功造成的损失、收益的分配等因素是合作意愿的重要影响因素,且差异化竞争度比服务依赖度对合作意愿的影响作用更强烈、与收益相比博弈主体对成本的变化更敏感、服务提供商更易动摇合作的意愿、存在最优的收益分配系数使制造企业与服务提供商采取合作策略的意愿最强。     

The Role of Contracts on Quality and Returns to Quality in Offshore Software Development Outsourcing

In this study, we examine how the different incentive structures inherent in two primary contract types—time and materials (T&M) and fixed price (FP)—influence the quality provided by the vendor in the software development outsourcing industry. We argue that the incentive structure of FP contracts motivates a vendor to be more efficient in the software development process, which results in higher quality as compared to projects executed under a T&M contract. We thus argue that vendors consistently staff FP projects with better trained personnel because they face the most risk on these contracts, resulting in better outcomes on these projects. We extend our analysis to propose that providing higher quality is associated with higher profit margins for the vendor only for FP contracts. We develop and test these hypotheses on data collected from 100 software projects completed by a leading Indian offshore vendor. The results provide strong support for our fundamental thesis that the drivers of and returns to quality vary by contract type. We discuss the implications of our research for both researchers and practitioners.     

关系激励管理对供求企业绩效影响的实证研究

有效的供求关系激励管理方式设计,以及这种管理方式如何影响供求双方的绩效,是目前国内理论界和企业界都十分关注的问题之一。本文试图从采购企业角度出发探讨关系激励管理方式对供求企业绩效的影响。首先解释了激励型供应商管理方式的指标测度体系,然后通过对国内近百家企业问卷调查的统计分析,得出了如下两个主要结论:激励型管理方式与采购企业业绩之间存在正相关关系;激励型管理方式与供应商业绩之间存在正相关关系。这不仅证实了合作能够创造"双赢"局面的理论观点,而且也为国内企业供应商管理的具体实践提供了理论上的指导。     

Quality Management and Cooperative Values: Investigation of Multilevel Influences on Workgroup Performance

Unsuccessful quality initiatives often are attributed to an organizational culture that does not recognize the importance of the cooperative values that underlie “soft” quality management practices, like customer focus and empowerment. Yet, the literature remains unclear as to how quality management and cooperative values interrelate by failing to incorporate the multilevel influences on this relationship in organizations. This research analyzes a multilevel model based on sociotechnical systems and quality management theories. Secondary data are used to test an explanation of how organizational‐level and workgroup‐level quality management practices relate to cooperative cultural values and workgroup performance. A single‐level model is also tested to demonstrate its inadequacies. Based upon the support for a multilevel model, managerial insights are provided that aid in deciding where resources should be allocated during a quality initiative.     

企业内外部IT能力对绩效的影响机制研究

基于企业能力理论,对内外部IT能力与企业绩效的关系问题展开研究,实证研究结果显示,外部IT能力对企业的内部IT能力有正向的影响,组织学习在内外部IT能力对企业绩效作用的过程中起到了完全中介的作用。     

基于服务质量保证策略的定价、补偿和缺陷承诺

分析了基于服务质量保证策略的定价、补偿和缺陷承诺问题。运用比较静态分析分别求解服务商基于自身利润最大化的最优服务价格、最优单位质量缺陷补偿成本和最优质量缺陷承诺。通过数值分析,验证了所提出的服务商最优决策的有效性。