Abstract
Outsourcing is a managerial procedure whose success needs clarification regarding the long-term relationship between customer and supplier. The authors’ aim is to examine simultaneously the client’s and supplier’s perspectives through the psychological contract that, by assimilating the contents of the legal contract, focuses on (1) the implicit (not formalized) and reciprocal (mutual) duties between the two parties, (2) the equivalence of psychological obligations and contractual values and (3) the importance of the individual commitment level. While the legal contract is managed and based on an organizational level, the psychological contract is individual and perceived as such: from the authors’ point of view, all workers, regardless of whether they work inside or outside the company, are part of the psychological contract. The authors employ a case study represented by an outsourcing center belonging to a group of Italian banks, using the “qualitative and quantitative” mixed method. In the first phase, a series of interviews will help identify the key variables to develop a questionnaire for both customers and suppliers. The second phase will comprise the interviews and questionnaire formalization. The two themes, the psychological contract on the one hand and the outsourcing governance on the other hand, represent a highly relevant matter that has received scant attention in the literature.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Qiyang, C., Binshan, L.: Global outsourcing and its managerial implications. Hum. Syst. Manage. 17(2), 109–114 (1998)
Bryce, J.B., Useem, M.: The impact of corporate outsourcing on company value. Eur. Manage. J. 16(6), 635–643 (1998)
Michell, V., Fitzgerald, G.: The IT outsourcing market-place: vendors and their selection. J. Inf. Technol. 12, 223–237 (1997)
Grover V., Teng J.T.C.: The decision to outsource information systems functions. J. Syst. Manage. 34–38 (1993)
Klepper, R.: The management of partnering development in IS oustourcing. J. Inf. Technol. 10, 249–258 (1995)
Apte U.M., Sobol, M.G.: Hanaoka S., Shimada T., Saarinen T., Salmela T., Vepsalainen A.P.J.: IS outsourcing practices in the USA, Japan and Finland: a comparative study. J. Inf. Technol. 12, 289–304 (1997)
Saunders, C., Gebelt, M., Hu, Q.: Achieving success in information systems outsourcing. Calif. Manage. Rev. 39(2), 63–79 (1997)
Jurison, J.: The role of risk and return in information technology outsourcing decisions. J. Inf. Technol. 10, 239–247 (1995)
Richmond, W.B., Seidman, A., Whinston, A.B.: Incomplete contracting issues in information systems development outsourcing. Decis. Support Syst. 8, 459–477 (1992)
Cheon, M., Grover, V., Teng, J.T.: Theoretical perspectives on the outsourcing of information systems. J. Inf. Technol. 10, 209–219 (1995)
Merlino, M., Testa, S., Valivano, A.: Opportunità e limiti dei processi di outsourcing. Economia e Manage. 3, 107–115 (1995)
De Loof L.A.: Information Systems Outsourcing Decision Making: A Managerial Approach. Idea Group Publishing, Hershey (1997)
Minoli D.: Analyzing Outsourcing: Reengineering Information and Communication Systems. McGraw Hill, New York (1994)
Vannutelli L.: Outsourcing nelle Tecnologie dell’Informazione, Etas Libri Editore (1994)
Valentini, S.: Gestire L’Outsourcing. Franco Angeli, Milano (1999)
Wong, A.: Integrating supplier satisfaction with customer satisfaction. Total Qual. Manage. 4(6), 427–432 (2000)
Gouldner, A.W.: The norm of reciprocity: a preliminary statement. Am. Sociol. Rev. 25(2), 161–178 (1960)
Bravard J.L., Morgan R.: I vantaggi Dell’outsourcing. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River (2007)
Sjaak B., Slinger J.: Collaboration in Outsourcing. A Journey to Quality, Series: Technology, Work and Globalization. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke (2012)
Zhao X., Xue, L., Zhang, F.: Outsourcing Competition and Information Sharing with Asymmetrically Informed Suppliers”, Technology, Operations Management & Production, e Journal (2011)
Cantoni F.: L’outsourcing della Tecnologia nel Settore Bancario. Carocci, Roma (1997)
Schalk, R., Freese, C., Van Den Bosch, J.: Het psychologisch contract van part-timers en full-timers (The psychological contract of part-timers and full-timers). Gedrag en Organisatie 8(5), 108–118 (1995)
Argyris, C.: Integrating the Individual and the Organization. Wiley, London (1964)
Levinson, H., Price, C.R., Munden, K.J., Solley, C.M.: Men, Management and Mental Health. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1962)
Schein, E.H.: Organizational Psychology. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1980)
Kotter, J.P.: The psychological contract. Calif. Manage. Rev. 15, 91–99 (1973)
Rousseau, D.M.: Psychological and implied contracts in organizations. Empl. Responsib. Rights J. 8, 121–139 (1989)
Rousseau, D.M., Greller, M.M.: Human resource practices: administrative contract makers. Hum. Resour. Manage. 33, 385–401 (1994)
Herriot, P., Pemberton, C.: Facilitating new deals. Hum. Resour. Manage. J. 7, 45–56 (1997)
Meyer, J.P., Allen, N.J.: Commitment in the Workplace: Theory, Research and Application. Sage, Thousand Oaks (1997)
Morrison, E.W., Robinson, S.L.: When employees feel betrayed: a model of how psychological contract violation develops. Acad. Manage. Rev. 22, 226–256 (1997)
Guest D., Conway N.: Fairness at Work and the Psychological Contract. Issues in People Management. Institute of Personnel and Development, London (1998)
Auteri, E.: Management Delle Risorse Umane. Guerini e Associati, Milano (1998)
Weizmann H., Weizmann J.: Gestione delle risorse umane e valore dell’impresa. Franco Angeli, (2001)
Tosi, H.L., Pilati, M.: Comportamento Organizzativo. Egea, Milan (2002)
Conway, N., Briner, R.B.: Understanding Psychological Contracts at Work. a Critical Evaluation of Theory and Research. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2005)
Costa G., Gianecchini M.: Risorse Umane. Persone, relazioni e valore (1a ed.). McGraw-Hill, Milan, (2005)
Kern, T., Willcocks, L.: Exploring information technology outsourcing relationships: theory and practice. J. Strateg. Inf. Syst. 9, 321–350 (2000)
Koh, C., Ang, S., Straub, D.W.: IT outsourcing success: a psychological contract perspective. Inf. Syst. Res. 15, 356–373 (2004)
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Carlo Lotta and Marco Ippolito who have helped gather and structure the biographic elements, which have been fundamental for the writing of this article.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Cantoni, F., Zardini, A., Rossignoli, C. (2014). The Psychological Contract as an Integrative Governance Instrument of the Legal Outsourcing Contract. In: Baglieri, D., Metallo, C., Rossignoli, C., Pezzillo Iacono, M. (eds) Information Systems, Management, Organization and Control. Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation, vol 6. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07905-9_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07905-9_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-07904-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-07905-9
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsBusiness and Management (R0)