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Global Outsourcing Discourse

Exploring Modes of IT Governance

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Explores two new theoretical lenses and applies them to real-life outsourcing studies
  • Employs Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) and Foucauldian perspectives on the same case material
  • Incorporates the perspectives of both client and supplier organizations
  • Examines five outsourcing relationships longitudinally over time

Part of the book series: Technology, Work and Globalization (TWG)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
  2. Exploring Outsourcing, Governance, and Discourse

    • Eleni Lioliou, Leslie P. Willcocks
    Pages 1-19
  3. The Study of Information Technology Outsourcing

    • Eleni Lioliou, Leslie P. Willcocks
    Pages 21-57
  4. Inside Global Offshore Outsourcing in Insurance

    • Eleni Lioliou, Leslie P. Willcocks
    Pages 59-79
  5. Inside Global Outsourcing in Banking and Finance

    • Eleni Lioliou, Leslie P. Willcocks
    Pages 81-134
  6. Inside Domestic Outsourcing with Multiple Suppliers

    • Eleni Lioliou, Leslie P. Willcocks
    Pages 135-184
  7. The Transaction Cost Economics Discourse

    • Eleni Lioliou, Leslie P. Willcocks
    Pages 185-219
  8. A Foucauldian Discourse Perspective

    • Eleni Lioliou, Leslie P. Willcocks
    Pages 221-258
  9. Conclusion: The Global Outsourcing Discourse

    • Eleni Lioliou, Leslie P. Willcocks
    Pages 259-277
  10. Back Matter

    Pages 279-292

About this book

The aim of this book is to investigate the discursive power of two original, theoretical lenses when applied to real outsourcing arrangements and phenomena. The Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) and Foucauldian perspectives are brought to bear on five outsourcing relationships in order to test the application of these discourses to rich qualitative data over the outsourcing contractual life-cycle. This will be the first study illustrating the relevance of Foucauldian concepts of governmentality, discourse and power relations to the study of outsourcing arrangements, and will also incorporate the perspectives of both client and supplier organizations. Using discourse analysis, the objective is to critically deconstruct and provide fresh insight into the normative ‘outsourcing’ discourse that has grown up around global sourcing practices over the last 30 years.



Authors and Affiliations

  • Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

    Eleni Lioliou

  • London School of Economics, London, UK

    Leslie P. Willcocks

About the authors

Eleni Lioliou is a Lecturer in International Business and Strategy at Queen Mary, University of London, UK. She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and she is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. Her research has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of World Business, Journal of Information Technology, Information Systems Journal, Journal of Strategic Information Systems and International Business Review. Her research interests revolve around IT outsourcing and offshoring, open innovation, governance and control as well as the Foucauldian approach to the study of management and ICTs.

Leslie P. Willcocks is Professor of Technology Work and Globalization at the Department of Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. His doctorate is from Cambridge University, and he is Associate Fellow at Green Templeton College, Oxford University, where he taught for nine years. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information Technology and is internationally recognised for his work on global sourcing, digital business, service automation, IT and organizational change, and global business management. He has co-authored 55 books and over 230 refereed papers and regularly presents and advises on these areas globally.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Global Outsourcing Discourse

  • Book Subtitle: Exploring Modes of IT Governance

  • Authors: Eleni Lioliou, Leslie P. Willcocks

  • Series Title: Technology, Work and Globalization

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74045-4

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Business and Management, Business and Management (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-74044-7Published: 12 January 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-74045-4Published: 30 December 2018

  • Series ISSN: 2730-6623

  • Series E-ISSN: 2730-6631

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 292

  • Number of Illustrations: 6 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Corporate Governance, IT in Business, Discourse Analysis

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access