Department of MIS
University of Memphis Photo
Abstract
Jain, R.P., Simon, J.C., and Poston, R. 2011. “Mitigating Vendor Silence in Offshore Outsourcing: An Empirical Investigation,” Journal of Management Information Systems (27:4), pp. 261-298.

The tendency to remain silent about project-related issues can contribute to suboptimal project performance or project failure. Prior research in offshore outsourcing suggests that client managers should play a critical role to induce offshore vendors' employees not only to report project problems in a timely fashion but also to brainstorm and contribute ideas to a project. Also, the extant research on cross-cultural teams has emphasized the importance of cultural adaptation in the smooth functioning of these teams, but the role of cultural adaptation in silence mitigation has been largely underdeveloped in the literature. In this research, we bring these concepts of vendor silence and cultural adaptation in cross-cultural teams together and develop a process framework that illustrates how vendor silence may be mitigated in offshore outsourcing through various silence mitigation mechanisms. We then develop three propositions for organizational action toward mitigating vendor silence, which highlight the mediating role of cultural adaptation.

MIS Home

About

Chair's Message

Advisory Council

Degree Programs

Courses

Admissions

Internships

Faculty

Ph.D. Students

Publications and Recognitions

Research Programs

Executive Research

Contact Us

Text Only | Print | Got a Question? Ask TOM | Contact Us | Memphis, TN 38152 | 901/678-2000 | Copyright 2012 University of Memphis | Important Notice | Last Updated: 
Last Updated: 1/23/12