TY - JOUR A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Reicheneder, Matthias A1 - Matschi, Markus T1 - From Captive Centers to Global Integration BT - Organizational Models and Good Practices in Information Technology Nearshoring and Offshoring JF - Information Resources Management Journal N2 - Contemporary developments in virtual work and global talent management are transforming information technology (IT) nearshoring and offshoring practices, yet research on organizational responses remains limited. Through expert interviews with 33 IT executives (76% chief information officers) from Germany's top 500 companies, this article examines organizational models, strategies, and good practices in IT nearshoring and offshoring. It reveals a shift from traditional captive centers toward fully integrated global teams, enabling high-value task delivery and reflecting increased workforce maturity. Companies are expanding their operations driven by talent needs rather than cost savings, with success factors including employee integration and robust on-site management. This study contributes to theory and practice by providing a framework for understanding organizational models in global IT delivery and offering actionable insights for executives, emphasizing workforce integration over geographical separation. KW - Offshoring KW - Informationstechnik KW - Internationale Arbeitsteilung KW - Organisationsstruktur KW - IT-Nearshoring KW - IT-Offshoring KW - Global IT-Teams KW - Organizational Models KW - Distributed Work Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-80406 SN - 1533-7979 N1 - Corresponding author der OTH Regensburg: Markus Westner VL - 38 IS - 1 PB - IGI Global ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reicheneder, Matthias A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Matschi, Markus T1 - IT-Near- und Offshoring in deutschen Großunternehmen: Aktueller Stand, Motive und Auswahlkriterien JF - HMD Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik N2 - Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die aktuelle IT-Near- und Offshoring-Praxis in deutschen Großunternehmen. Dafür wurden 33 CIOs und IT-Führungskräfte mittels Interviews befragt. Haupttreiber der geografischen Verlagerung von IT-Services ins Ausland ist die Ressourcenverfügbarkeit in anderen Ländern, bedingt durch den Fachkräftemangel in Deutschland. Dies trifft auch auf die Auswahl geeigneter IT-Services für das Near- und Offshoring zu. Während IT-Near- und Offshoring historisch primär aufgrund von Kosteneinsparungen initiiert wurde, spielt dieser Aspekt heute eine untergeordnete Rolle. Die Interviewteilnehmer und -teilnehmerinnen sehen in Kosteneinsparungen zwar immer noch einen positiven Effekt, erwarten aber, dass dieser in Zukunft aufgrund der Angleichung des Kostenniveaus schwinden wird. Die Unternehmen verlagern hauptsächlich Applikationsbetrieb und -entwicklung, erkennen jedoch zunehmend das Potenzial, auch höherwertige Aufgaben, z. B. Projektmanagement und Unternehmensarchitekturmanagement, aus geografisch entfernteren Ländern erbringen zu lassen. Unternehmen, die ausschließlich IT-Nearshoring betreiben, erbringen weniger als ein Drittel ihrer IT-Services aus nahegelegenen Ländern. Firmen mit IT-Offshoring-Präsenzen weisen einen höheren IT-Near‑/Offshoringgrad auf und verlagern knapp die Hälfte der eigenen IT-Serviceerbringung ins Ausland. Die beliebtesten Länder sind Portugal für das Nearshoring und Indien für das Offshoring. KW - Nearshoring KW - Offshoring KW - IT Services KW - Drivers KW - Selection Criteria KW - Large Companies KW - Study KW - Motive KW - Auswahlkriterien KW - Großunternehmen KW - Studie Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-79582 SN - 1436-3011 N1 - Corresponding author der OTH Regensbrg: Markus Westner PB - Springer Nature CY - Wiesbaden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reicheneder, Matthias A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Matschi, Markus T1 - IT nearshoring and offshoring in German large companies: current status, motives and selection criteria N2 - This study analyses current IT nearshoring and offshoring practices in large German companies. For this purpose, 33 CIOs and IT managers were interviewed. Due to the shortage of skilled labour in Germany, the main driver behind the geographical relocation of IT services abroad is the availability of resources in other countries. This also applies to the selection of suitable IT services for nearshoring and offshoring. While IT near- and offshoring was historically initiated primarily due to cost savings, this aspect plays a subordinate role today. Although the interviewees still see cost savings as a benefit, they expect this advantage to erode in the future due to the narrowing gap in international cost differences. Companies are mainly offshoring application services but are increasingly recognising the potential to have higher-value tasks, e.g. project management and enterprise architecture management, performed from geographically more distant countries. Companies that only engage in IT nearshoring provide less than a third of their IT services in this way. Companies with IT offshoring presences have a higher degree of IT nearshoring/offshoring and perform almost half of their IT services abroad using their own resources. The most popular countries are Portugal for nearshoring and India for offshoring. KW - Nearshoring KW - Offshoring KW - IT Services KW - Drivers KW - Selection Criteria KW - Large Companies KW - Study Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-85311 N1 - This document is an English translation of the article: Reicheneder, M., Westner, M. & Matschi, M. IT-Near- und Offshoring in deutschen Großunternehmen: Aktueller Stand, Motive und Auswahlkriterien. HMD (2025). https://doi.org/10.1365/s40702-025-01150-2 N1 - Die deutsche Originalveröffentlichung ist abgelegt unter: https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-oth-regensburg/frontdoor/index/index/start/0/rows/10/sortfield/score/sortorder/desc/searchtype/simple/query/IT-Near-+und+Offshoring+in+deutschen+Gro%C3%9Funternehmen%3A+Aktueller+Stand%2C+Motive+und+Auswahlkriterien/docId/7958 CY - Regensburg ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Strasser, Artur A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Knowledge Transfer in IS Offshoring BT - Processes, Roles, and Success Factors T2 - Proceedings of the 19th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS 2015) Singapore, July 5-9 N2 - IS offshoring research regarding knowledge transfer processes, roles involved, as well as influencing factors is characterized by its diverse and heterogeneous nature. Covering the last fifteen years of IS offshoring research, this paper provides a consolidated view of the field of study. It presents a generic knowledge transfer process consisting of four stages and five milestones. These stages are characterized and evaluated according to their relevance for knowledge transfer, the types of knowledge transferred, the main activities and methods for transfer and testing, as well as the goals pursued. Furthermore, we aggregate the diverse literature findings relating to individuals who facilitate knowledge transfer processes into a general role. We label this role “offshore coordinator” and present its core tasks and necessary skills. In addition, we identify and cluster core factors that influence success or failure of knowledge transfer. In summary, our study answers calls to discontinue with empirically derived definitions in favor of theory-based conceptualization of the IS offshoring research field with respect to knowledge transfer processes, roles, and success factors. Future studies can build on these results and examine questions with respect to particular characteristics of knowledge transfer processes and their influencing success and failure factors. KW - Offshoring KW - Knowledge transfer KW - Knowledge management KW - Information systems KW - Betriebliches Informationssystem KW - Offshoring KW - Wissensmanagement Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-835 UR - https://aisel.aisnet.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1046&context=pacis2015 SP - 1 EP - 15 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Könning, Michael A1 - Strahringer, Susanne A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Unraveling the impact of cultural distance on IT outsourcing success BT - Insights from three major sourcing reconfigurations JF - Journal of Enterprise Information Management N2 - PURPOSE IT outsourcing (ITO) has developed into an established practice for organizations but the interorganizational and oftentimes international collaboration it involves comes at a price: Reports from academia and practice suggest that more than 25% of all ITO projects fail, many because of cultural differences between client and provider organizations. Against this background, this paper analyzes the complex nature of cultural distance and its multi-faceted effect on ITO success. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH This paper builds upon extant literature on culture on the national, organizational and team level, conceptualizes its effect on relationship quality and ITO success, and hypothesizes a model on potential moderators and management techniques to offset culture-induced challenges. It then evaluates and refines the model by means of an interpretive qualitative research design for an in-depth single-case study of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE (P7S1), a leading European media company that reconfigured its IT sourcing model three times in 10 years. FINDINGS The results from interviews with top managers from client and provider organizations represent one of the first integrated views on the critical importance of cultural compatibility on multiple levels, provide manifold examples for its complex effect on ITO success, as well as moderators and potential management techniques to promote ITO success. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS This paper contributes relevant empirical insights to the growing body of literature on culture and its underestimated role in ITO success. It builds on tentative theory that is confirmed and refined. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The paper helps in substantiating the complex and intangible nature of culture and demonstrates means for its effective management. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The results from interviews with top managers from client and provider organizations represent one of the first integrated views on the critical importance of cultural compatibility on multiple levels, provide manifold examples for its complex effect on ITO success, as well as moderators and potential management techniques to promote ITO success. KW - IT outsourcing KW - Offshoring KW - ITO Success KW - Cultural distance KW - Relationship quality KW - National culture KW - Organizational culture Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-8708 VL - 34 IS - 3 SP - 811 EP - 837 PB - Emerald ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Strasser, Artur A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Strahringer, Susanne T1 - Knowledge transfer in IS offshoring BT - A Delphi study of the offshore coordinator role JF - Journal of Systems and Information Technology N2 - Purpose This paper aims to investigate the main tasks, necessary skills, and the implementation of the offshore coordinator’s role to facilitate knowledge transfer in information systems (IS) offshoring. Design/methodology/approach This empirical exploratory study uses the classical Delphi method that includes one qualitative and two quantitative rounds to collect data on IS experts’ perceptions to seek a consensus among them. Findings The participants agreed, with strong consensus, for a set of 16 tasks and 15 skills. The tasks focused primarily on relationship management and facilitating knowledge transfer on different levels. The set of skills consists of approximately 25 per cent “hard” skills, e.g. professional language skills and project management skills, and approximately 75 per cent “soft” skills, e.g. interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to deal with conflict. Two factors mainly influence implementing the offshore coordinator role: project size and the number of projects to be supported simultaneously. Practical implications The findings provide indications of how to define and fulfill this crucial role in practice to facilitate the knowledge transfer process in a positive way. Originality/value Similarities in previous research findings are aggregated to examine the intermediate role in detail from a consolidated perspective. This results in the first comprehensive set of critical tasks and skills assigned to the competency dimensions of the universal competency framework, demonstrating which and how many competency dimensions are critical. KW - Knowledge transfer KW - Delphi KW - IS offshoring KW - Offshoring coordinator KW - universal competency framework KW - Betriebliches Informationssystem KW - Offshoring KW - DV-Koordinator KW - Wissensmanagement Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-294 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/JSIT-01-2018-0008 SN - 1328-7265 VL - 21 IS - 1 SP - 36 EP - 62 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Strasser, Artur A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Information systems offshoring BT - Results of a systematic literature review JF - Journal of Information Technology Management N2 - An increasing amount of IS offshoring research has been published during the last four years. This paper presents a comprehensive view of the field of study from a managerial point of view. It provides a consolidated view of the field of study between 2010 and 2013 based on a manual search comprising 69 selected journals and 9 conferences, as well as a search using 6 journal databases. The literature review ensures continuity of research by connecting to a comprehensive literature analysis covering the years 1999 to 2009. This way it consolidates and critically reflects the state of the research of the last 14 years. Overall, we compiled 95 relevant publications originating from leading IS journals and IS conference proceedings. The results indicate that IS offshoring research is largely non-theory based, using almost entirely empirical data and interpretive research methods and -to a smaller extent -positivist research designs. The ISO research of the last 14 years focuses on the implementation stages "how" and "outcome" while the pre-implementation-stages “why”, “what”, and “which” are comparatively sparsely researched. Future studies should apply a more theory-driven approach with a greater attention on pre-implementation aspects of information systems offshoring. In addition, future research should investigate the special nature of near- and onshoring, captive offshoring as well asagile (project) management techniques suitable for ISO. KW - Betriebliches Informationssystem KW - Offshoring KW - Literaturbericht KW - Offshoring KW - Nearshoring KW - Information systems KW - Information technology KW - Literature review Y1 - 2015 UR - http://jitm.ubalt.edu/XXVI-2/article5.pdf VL - 26 IS - 2 SP - 70 EP - 142 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Strahringer, Susanne T1 - Determinants of success in IS offshoring projects BT - Results from an empirical study of German companies JF - Information & Management N2 - High labor cost in western countries allows cost savings by companies engaging in IS offshoring. However, studies worldwide indicate that a large number of companies that engaged in IS offshoring are not satisfied with the outcome. Our study examined the determinants of IS offshore project success: We developed a model and empirically tested it with data collected from 304 experts who reported on projects offshored from Germany to a wide range of near and distant countries. The model posited a direct effect of offshoring expertise and trust in offshore service provider (OSP) on success, as well as an indirect effect mediated by project suitability, knowledge transfer, and liaison quality. An analysis using partial least squares (PLSs) provided significant support for almost all these relationships. However, it showed that offshoring expertise played a minor role in explaining success and the mediating constructs. Trust in OSP had a small direct effect on success and a medium to large effect on the mediating constructs. Project suitability, knowledge transfer, and liaison quality all had small direct effects on success. KW - Betriebliches Informationssystem KW - Offshoring KW - Wissensmanagement KW - Qualitätsmanagement KW - Information systems offshoring KW - Offshore project success KW - Project suitability KW - Knowledge transfer KW - Liaison quality KW - Offshoring expertise KW - Trust in offshore service provider KW - Partial least squares Y1 - 2010 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2010.06.003 VL - 47 IS - 5-6 SP - 291 EP - 299 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Strahringer, Susanne T1 - The current state of IS offshoring in Germany BT - Project characteristics and success patterns JF - Journal of Information Technology Management N2 - This paper empirically examines the current state of the IS offshoring phenomenon in Germany regarding project characteristics and success patterns. Relying on a sample of 304 projects conducted at various industry sectors and companies, results show that IS offshoring primarily occurs in sectors Telecommunications and IT at large corporations. Cost reduction is the main reason for going offshore and offshore projects are executed as part of a larger program at companies. Noticeably, most projects are delivered from India. Additionally, neither captive offshoring nor offshore outsourcing dominates as a de-livery option. Comparing different project subgroups regarding project success, the results reveal that projects delivered by an internal or partially owned service provider are more successful. Other project characteristics such as a project’s embedded-ness in a larger offshoring program, a project’s size, or a project’s offshoring degree in terms of relatively offshored labor hours show few significant differences. The paper addresses the paucity of empirical research on the current state of the IS offshoring phenomenon in Germany. KW - Offshoring KW - Nearshoring KW - Information systems sourcing KW - Outcome KW - Project success KW - Success factor KW - Betriebliches Informationssystem KW - Offfshoring Y1 - 2010 UR - http://jitm.ubalt.edu/XXI-1/article4.pdf VL - 21 IS - 1 SP - 49 EP - 70 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Strahringer, Susanne T1 - Evaluation criteria for selecting offshoring candidates BT - An analysis of practices in German businesses JF - Journal of Information Technology Management N2 - The identification of suitable applications or projects is a main initial step in any software development or maintenance related IS offshoring arrangement. This paper examines evaluation criteria and their importance for selecting application or project candidates for offshoring. Based on a literature analysis and interviews with 47 experts from 36 different German companies describing 64 case examples, we find that in contrast to the literature, “size”, “codification”, and “language” are perceived as important selection criteria by experts. Case examples additionally show that “business specificity” seems to be a main reason for application or project failures, that “business criticality” appears to be less important than suggested by the literature, and that adequate “size” might be a necessary prerequisite, but seems not to be a sufficient criterion for an application’s or project’s suitability for offshoring. These differences in comparison to findings from the literature may be explained by cultural and language differences. KW - Offshoring KW - Nearshoring KW - Outsourcing KW - What to offshore KW - Selection criteria KW - Information systems KW - Betriebliches Informationssystem KW - Offshoring KW - Projekt KW - Evaluation Y1 - 2008 UR - http://jitm.ubalt.edu/XIX-4/article2.pdf VL - 19 IS - 4 SP - 16 EP - 34 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Skelton, David A1 - Tinat, Johannes T1 - Enhancing students’ IS offshoring capabilities BT - an international blended teaching concept T2 - Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference of Computing and Information Technology Research and Education New Zealand (CITRENZ 2016), Wellington, New Zealand, July 11-13 N2 - An appreciation of globalisation issues by information systems (IS) graduates is a growing requirement of organisations with global reach. This paper discusses the planning of a joint course to be delivered online and face to face by two lecturers representing two tertiary institutes in Germany and New Zealand respectively. The IS offshoring content of the course is relatively unique and aspects of globalisation will be demonstrated through the dual country delivery of the course. The two lecturers involved have spent time lecturing and studying in their global partner’s country and tertiary institutes and so this joint delivery method is likely to also strengthen cultural ties between the two participating institutions including the students involved. Further research goals and issues are discussed for post-delivery of this dual country blended course. This paper provides a basis for this concept to be evaluated in further research. KW - Globalisation KW - Offshoring KW - Joint delivery KW - Blended global courses KW - International student KW - Informatikstudium KW - Integriertes Lernen KW - Internationale Kooperation KW - Deutschland KW - Neuseeland Y1 - 2016 UR - https://www.citrenz.ac.nz/conferences/2016/pdf/2016CITRENZ_1_Westner_IntBlended_15-2.pdf ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Antecedents of success in IS offshoring projects BT - Proposal for an empirical research study T2 - Proceedings of the 17th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2009), Verona N2 - The paper presents a research model and a measurement instrument for a research-in-progress study on the antecedents of success in IS offshoring projects. In this empirical-confirmatory study, we intend to analyse the impact of the constructs “offshoring expertise”, “trust in offshore service provider”, “project suitability”, “knowledge transfer”, and “liaison quality” on offshore project success. Constructs and indicators are derived from an extensive literature review. We plan to formulate a structural equation model and to test it using partial least squares (PLS) as an analysis technique. Our research model addresses the paucity of research that quantitatively examines offshoring success. KW - Informationstechnik KW - Offshoring KW - Methode der partiellen kleinsten Quadrate KW - Offshoring KW - Outsourcing KW - Project success KW - Partial least squares Y1 - 2009 UR - https://aisel.aisnet.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1272&context=ecis2009 SP - 3104 EP - 3116 ER - TY - BOOK A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - IS offshoring BT - essays on project suitability and success N2 - Information systems (IS) offshoring describes the transfer of IS services to an offshoring service provider in a near or far away country. It has received growing attention in the past and there is a strong momentum in shifting IS services abroad. Markus Westner examines the IS offshoring phenomenon from the perspective of German companies. He first provides an overview of the current literature in the field of IS offshoring. Based on interviews with 47 industry experts, evaluation criteria for selecting projects for offshoring are identified. Finally, the author examines determinants of IS offshore project success in German companies based on a statistical analysis of 304 projects using structural equation modeling (PLS). KW - Informationssystem KW - Offshoring KW - Beschaffung KW - IT Strategie KW - Internationale Arbeitsteilung KW - Nearshoring KW - Offshore KW - Offshoring KW - Modeling Y1 - 2010 SN - 978-3-8349-2046-1 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-8407-4 PB - Gabler CY - Wiesbaden ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Information systems offshoring BT - A review of the literature KW - Informationstechnik KW - Offshoring Y1 - 2007 UR - https://fis.tu-dresden.de/portal/de/publications/information-systems-offshoring--a-review-of-the-literature(9fa44cab-24a3-4150-9ed0-cd73bec92d17).html CY - Dresden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Strasser, Artur T1 - IT-Offshoring JF - WISU - Das Wirtschaftsstudium KW - Informationsmanagement KW - Offshoring Y1 - 2014 IS - 5 SP - 650 EP - 652 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Strahringer, Susanne T1 - Current state of IS offshoring research BT - A descriptive meta-analysis T2 - Mäkiö, Juho; Betz, Stefanie; Stephan, Rolf (Eds.): Offshoring of software development. Methods and tools for risk management. Karlsruhe: Universitätsverlag Karlsruhe N2 - This paper empirically examines the current state of the IS offshoring phenomenon in Germany regarding project characteristics and success patterns. Relying on a sample of 304 projects conducted at various industry sectors and companies, results show that IS offshoring primarily occurs in sectors Telecommunications and IT at large corporations. Cost reduction is the main reason for going offshore and offshore projects are executed as part of a larger program at companies. Noticeably, most projects are delivered from India. Additionally, neither captive offshoring nor offshore outsourcing dominates as a de-livery option. Comparing different project subgroups regarding project success, the results reveal that projects delivered by an internal or partially owned service provider are more successful. Other project characteristics such as a project’s embedded-ness in a larger offshoring program, a project’s size, or a project’s offshoring degree in terms of relatively offshored labor hours show few significant differences. The paper addresses the paucity of empirical research on the current state of the IS offshoring phenomenon in Germany. KW - Informationsmanagement KW - Offshoring KW - Erfolgsfaktor KW - Offshoring KW - Nearshoring KW - Informations systems sourcing KW - Outcome KW - Project success KW - Success factors Y1 - 2007 UR - http://jitm.ubalt.edu/XXI-1/article4.pdf SP - 7 EP - 22 ER -