Behrens, S: Information Systems Outsourcing

This dissertation comprises five essays that address issues related to governance and success in information systems (IS) outsourcing. Two of these essays are conceptual in nature, while three draw on empirical data from a field study conducted late 2005 to early 2006 among senior IS executives in the UK and Germany. The two conceptual essays present a literature review (Essay 1) and a framework with ensuing research propositions (Essay 2). The three empirical essays, on the other hand, report on the development of a measurement instrument (Essay 3), present and interpret the results of the field study for a practitioner audience (Essay 4), and test a comprehensive structural equation model (Essay 5). In terms of epistemology, two essays in this dissertation take an exploratory approach (Essay 1 and Essay 4), whereas the remaining three are rooted in the positivist tradition of IS research (Essay 2, Essay 3, and Essay 5). Although quite different in individual focus and approach, all essays contribute to the main challenge of developing a better understanding of the relationship between governance and success in IS outsourcing.