DOI

2753/MIS0742-1222230202

Abstract

What is the role of information technology (IT) in enabling the outsourcing of manufacturing plant production processes? Do plant strategies influence production outsourcing? Does production process outsourcing influence plant performance? This research addresses these questions by investigating the role of IT and plant strategies as antecedents of production outsourcing, and evaluating the impact of production outsourcing and IT investments on plant cost and quality. We develop a theoretical framework for the antecedents and performance outcomes of production outsourcing at the plant level. We validate this theoretical framework using cross-sectional survey data from U.S. manufacturing plants. Our analysis suggests that plants with greater IT investments are more likely to outsource their production processes, and that IT investments and production outsourcing are associated with lower plant cost of goods sold and higher product quality improvement. Our research provides an integrated model for studying the effects of IT and production outsourcing on plant performance.

Document Type

Post-print Article

Publication Date

Fall 2006

Publisher Statement

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2006 M.E. Sharpe, Inc.. Article first published online: Fall 2006
DOI: doi:10.2753/MIS0742-1222230202

The definitive version is available at: Journal of Management Information Systems 23, no. 2 (Fall 2006): 13-40. doi:10.2753/MIS0742-1222230202.

Full Citation:

Bardhan, Indranil, Jonathan Whitaker, and Sunil Mithas. "Information Technology, Production Process Outsourcing, and Manufacturing Plant Performance."Journal of Management Information Systems 23, no. 2 (Fall 2006): 13-40. doi:10.2753/MIS0742-1222230202.

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