Skip to main content

Opaque Indifference and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Moral License for Offshore BPO?

  • Conference paper
Advances in Global Sourcing. Models, Governance, and Relationships (Global Sourcing 2013)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing ((LNBIP,volume 163))

Abstract

Offshore Business Process Outsourcing (OBPO) is the delegation of one or more business processes to an external service provider (usually a global in-house centre or a third party). The focus of OBPO research is often the cost benefits of global BPO services. As demands by stakeholders for organisational justification of OBPO decisions and activities increase, reducing resistance to OBPO, particularly where global in-house centres provide services to onshore end-users, requires managing attitudes to OBPO in the community. Improving an organisation’s Social License to Operate relies on the community of stakeholders tacitly approving an organisation’s activities, based on acceptance of organisation’s legitimacy and ethics. The concept of ‘opaque indifference’ (OI) and corporate social responsibility both play a role in improving end-user and stakeholder satisfaction and acceptance of OBPO.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Wreford, J., Penter, K., Pervan, G., Davidson, F.: Seeking Opaque Indifference in Offshore BPO. In: Kotlarsky, J., Oshri, I., Willcocks, L.P. (eds.) Global Sourcing 2012. LNBIP, vol. 130, pp. 175–193. Springer, Heidelberg (2012)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  2. Durvasula, S., Lysonski, S.: Journal of International Consumer Marketing 21 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Becker-Olsen, K.L., Cudmore, B.A., Hill, R.P.: The impact of perceived corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior. Journal of Business Research 59, 46–53 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Nasscom.: Global In-house Centres, http://www.nasscom.org/global-in-house-centres (accessed June 21, 2013)

  5. Bertels, S., Peloza, J.: Running Just to Stand Still? Managing CSR Reputation in an Era of Ratcheting Expectations. Corporate Reputation Review 11, 56–72 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Grappi, S., Romani, S., Bagozzi, R.P.: The effects of company offshoring strategies on consumer responses. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 1–22 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Mudambi, S., Doh, J.: Broadening the Conceptual and Phenomenological Scope of Offshoring. In: Pedersen, T., Bals, L., Ørberg Jensen, P.D., Larsen, M.M. (eds.) The Offshoring Challenge: Strategic Design and Innovation for Tomorrow’s Organization. Springer, London (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hirschheim, R., Newman, M.: Houston, we’ve had a problem……Offshoring, IS Employment and the IS discipline: Perception is not reality. Journal of Information Technolog 25, 358–372 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bhagwati, J., Blinder, A.S.: Offshoring of American Jobs: What Response from US Economic Policy? In: Friedman (ed.) Alvin Hansen Symposium on Public Policy. Harvard University (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Zimmermann, A., Raab, K., Zanotelli, L.: Vicious and Virtuous Circles of Offshoring Attitudes and Relational Behaviours: A configurational study of German IT developers. Information Systems Journal 23, 65–88 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Sen, S., Bhattacharya, C.B.: Does Doing Good Always Lead to Doing Better? Consumer reactions to corporate social responsibility. Journal of Marketing Research 38, 225–244 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Lacity, M., Rudramuniyaiah, P.S.: Funny Business: Public Opinion of Outsourcing and Offshoring as Reflected in U.S. and Indian Political Cartoons. Communications of the Association for Information Systems 24 (2001), http://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol24/iss1/13

  13. Kumar, K., Van Fenema, P.C., Von Glinow, M.A.: Offshoring and the Global Distribution of Work: Implications for task interdependence theory and practice. Journal of International Business Studies 40, 642–667 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Lazonick, W.: Entrepreneurial Ventures and the Developmental State: Lessons from the advanced economies. United Nations University, World Institute for Development Economics Research, Helsinki (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Willcocks, L., Griffiths, C., Kotlarsky, J.: Offshoring in non-BRIC Countries: Egypt – A New Growth Market. LSE Outsourcing Unit Report. London School of Economics and Political Science, London (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Asher, M.G., Nandy, A.: Demographic Complementaries and Outsourcing Implications for India. IIMB Management Review 19, 93–102 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Mitra, D., Ranjan, P.: The Economics of Offshoring: Theory and evidence with applications to Asia. The Singapore Economic Review 53, 357–369 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Carmel, E., Agarwal, R.: The Maturation of Offshore Sourcing of Information Technology Work. IS Quarterly Executive 1, 65–79 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Oshri, I., van Uhm, B.: A Historical Review of the Information Technology and Business Process Captive Centre Sector. Journal of Information Technolog 27, 270–284 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Cullen, S., Seddon, P., Willcocks, L.: IT Outsourcing Success: A multi-dimensional, Contextual Perspective on Outsourcing Outcomes. In: Second Information Systems Workshop on Global Sourcing: Service, Knowledge and Innovation, March 10-13. Val D’Isere, France (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Dibbern, J., Goles, T., Hirschheim, R., Jayatilaka, B.: Information Systems Outsourcing: A survey and analysis of the literature. DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems 35, 6–102 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Winkler, J., Dibbern, J., Heinzl, A.: The Impact of Cultural Differences in Offshore Outsourcing: Case study results from German-Indian application development projects. Information Systems Frontiers 10, 243–259 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Goles, T., Chin, W.: Information Systems Outsourcing Relationship Factors: Detailed conceptualization and initial evidence. DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems 36, 47–67 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Babin, R., Nicholson, B.: Corporate social and environmental responsibility in global IT outsourcing. MIS Quarterly Executive 8, 203–212 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Thomas, G., Nowak, M.: Corporate Social Responsibility: A definition, Graduate School of Business Working Paper Number 62. Graduate School of Business, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Whetten, D.A., Rands, G., Godfrey, P.: What are the Responsibilities of Business to Society? In: Pettigrew, A., Thomas, H., Whittington, R. (eds.) Handbook of Strategy and Management. Sage, London (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Robertson, C.J., Lamin, A., Livanis, G.: Stakeholder Perceptions of Offshoring and Outsourcing: The Role of embedded issues. Journal of Business Ethics 95, 167–189 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Lindgreen, A., Swaen, V.: Corporate Social Responsibility. International Journal of Management Review 12, 1–7 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Carroll, A.B.: Corporate Social Responsibility: Evolution of definitional construct. Business Society 38, 268–295 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Greenfield, W.M.: In the Name of Corporate Social Responsibility. Business Horizons 47, 19–28 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Maignan, I., Ralston, D.A.: Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe and the US: Insights from businesses self-presentations. Journal of International Business Studies 33, 497–514 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. McWilliams, A., Siegel, D.S., Wright, P.M.: Corporate social responsibility: Strategic implications. Journal of Management Studies 43, 1–18 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Pearce, J.A., Doh, J.P.: The High Impact of Collaborative Social Initiatives. MIT Sloan Management Review 46, 30–39 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Bhattacharya, C.B., Sen, S.: Doing Better at Doing Good: When, why, and how consumers respond to corporate social initiatives. California Management Review 47, 9–24 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Mohr, L.A., Webb, D.J., Harris, K.E.: Do Consumers Expect Companies to be Socially Responsible? The impact of corporate social responsibility on buying behavior. Journal of Consumer Affairs 35, 45–72 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Auger, P., Devinney, T.M., Louviere, J.J.: Global Segments of Socially Conscious Consumers: Do they exist? In: Smith, N.C., Ihattacharya, C.B., Bogel, D., Levine, D.I. (eds.) Global Challenges In Responsible Business. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Vogel, D.J.: Is there a Market for virtue? The business case for corporate social responsibility. California Management Review 47, 19–25 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. International Organization for Standardization.: ISO 26000: Social Responsibility, ISO Central Secretariat, Switzerland (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Australian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (2012), http://www.accsr.com.au (accessed January 17, 2013)

  40. Scholtens, B., Dam, L.: Cultural Values and International Differences in Business Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics 75, 273–284 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Aubert, B.A., Rivard, S., Templier, M.: Information Technology and Distance-Induced Effort to Manage Offshore Activities. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 58, 758–771 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Lee, J., Huynh, M., Hirschheim, R.: An Integrative Model of Trust on IT Outsourcing: Examining a bilateral perspective. Information Systems Frontiers 10, 145–163 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Lee, J.-N., Kim, Y.-M.: Effect of Partnership Quality on IS Outsourcing Success: Conceptual Framework and Empirical Validation. Journal of Management Information Systems 15, 29–61 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  44. Zinkin, J.: Maximising the ‘Licence to Operate’. The Journal of Corporate Citizenship 14, 67–80 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  45. Williams, G., Zinkin, J.: The Effect of Culture on Consumers’ Willingness to Punish Irresponsible Corporate Behaviour: Applying Hofstede’s typology to the punishment aspect of corporate social responsibility. Business Ethics: A European Review 17, 210–226 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Youngdahl, W., Ramaswamy, K.: Offshoring Knowledge and Service Work: A conceptual model and research agenda. Journal of Operations Management 26, 212–221 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Yin, R.: Case Study Research: Design and methods, 3rd edn. Sage Publications, Beverly Hills (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  48. Torres, C.A.C., Garcia-French, M., Hordijk, R., Nguyen, K., Olup, L.: Four Case Studies on Corporate Social Responsibility: Do conflicts affect a company’s corporate social responsibility policy? Utrecht Law Review 8, 51–73 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  49. Oshri, I.: Offshoring strategies: Evolving captive center models. MIT Press, Boston (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  50. ANZ Corporate Communications.: ANZ’s Call Centres in Australia are here to stay. Melbourne, Victoria(2006)

    Google Scholar 

  51. Fisher, J., Hirschheim, R., Jacobs, R.: Understanding the Outsourcing Learning Curve: A longitudinal analysis of a large Australian Company. Information Systems Frontiers 10, 165–178 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Wreford, J., Davidson, F., Pervan, G., Penter, K. (2013). Opaque Indifference and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Moral License for Offshore BPO?. In: Oshri, I., Kotlarsky, J., Willcocks, L.P. (eds) Advances in Global Sourcing. Models, Governance, and Relationships. Global Sourcing 2013. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 163. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40951-6_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40951-6_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-40950-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-40951-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics