Cultural Sensemaking in Offshore Information Technology Service Suppliers: A Cultural Frame Perspective

Author List: Su, Ning;
MIS Quarterly, 2015, Volume 39, Issue 4, Page 959-983.
In today's global IT outsourcing relationships, individual employees need to operate effectively in culturally diverse environments. Such intercultural interactions can be especially challenging for members of IT service suppliers based in offshore locations. Through an in-depth qualitative case study of one of the largest China-based IT service firms with diverse clients from Japan, the United States, and China, this research elaborates the cultural sensemaking activities of the supplier's individual employees. Specifically, drawing on the dynamic constructivist view of culture, this study develops the construct of Òcultural framesÓ in the context of global IT outsourcing to characterize the knowledge structures guiding an individual's collaboration with diverse clients. A portfolio of cultural frames emerges and evolves through the individual's cultural sensemaking activities, which consist of the iterative enactment, alignment, and retention of cultural frames. In the cultural sensemaking process, the activity of frame bridging, in particular, creates significant value for the outsourcing relationship, and is especially salient among bicultural employees.
Keywords: IT outsourcing; IT supplier; cultural sensemaking; cultural frame; China
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#28 0.201 cultural culture differences cross-cultural states united status national cultures japanese studies japan influence comparison versus china participants country singapore diverse
#221 0.138 competence experience versus individual disaster employees form npd concept context construct effectively focus functionalities front-end knowledge-intensive stage explores set definition
#189 0.111 recommendations recommender systems preferences recommendation rating ratings preference improve users frame contextual using frames sensemaking filtering manipulation specific collaborative items
#47 0.081 outsourcing vendor client sourcing vendors clients relationship firms production mechanisms duration mode outsourced vendor's effort activities in-house managing technology domestic
#52 0.070 supply chain information suppliers supplier partners relationships integration use chains technology interorganizational sharing systems procurement buyer interfirm coordination enterprises flexibility
#164 0.067 countries global developing technology international country developed national economic policy domestic study foreign globalization world government nations innovative technological especially
#116 0.059 research study influence effects literature theoretical use understanding theory using impact behavior insights examine influences mechanisms specifically context perspective findings