The field of Information Systems (IS) outsourcing has drawn considerable attention among scientists and practitioners for the past fifteen years. The present book analyses why organizations insource or outsource IS functions - - specifically the development and maintenance of software applications. Concepts from transaction cost theory, resource-based theory, incomplete contracts theory, the theory of planned behaviour, and cross-cultural research are integrated into a coherent framework that recognizes the economic, strategic, and social dimension of the IS sourcing decision. This framework is specified in a research model and empirically tested across countries (Germany versus USA), industries (Machinery versus Finance) and IS functions (Application Software Development versus Maintenance) using the partial least squares (PLS) approach of structural equation modelling. The book thereby provides theoretically and empirically grounded insights into the reasons and implications of the IS sourcing decision.

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Problem Statement.- 1.2 Research Focus and Objectives.- 1.3 Overview of Research Methodology.- 1.4 Study Organization.- 2 Theoretical Framework on Information Systems Sourcing.- 2.1 The Nature of the Information Systems Sourcing Decision.- 2.2 Analysis and Selection of Theoretical Lenses.- 2.3 Hypotheses from Selected Theoretical Lenses.- 2.4 Complementary Hypotheses from Selected Cultural Dimensions.- 3 Empirical Test of Sourcing Model.- 3.1 Structural Equation Modeling.- 3.2 Operationalization of Constructs.- 3.3 Data Collection.- 3.4 Sample Characteristics.- 3.5 Model Estimation and Evaluation.- 4 Discussion of Model Findings.- 4.1 Commonalities between Groups.- 4.2 Group Differences.- 4.3 Theoretical Implications.- 4.4 Practical Implications.- 4.5 Study Limitations.- 4.6 Future Research.- 5 Conclusion.- Appendix A: Literature Sources on Information Systems Outsourcing.- Appendix B: Research Approaches.- Appendix C: Cover Letters.- C.1 Initial Cover Letter in English.- C.2 Follow-up Cover Letter in English.- C.3 Initial Cover Letter in German.- C.4 Follow-up Cover Letter in German.- Appendix D: Questionnaires.- D.1 Questionnaire in English.- D.2 Questionnaire in German.- List of Figures.- List of Tables.- Literature.