How Guanxi influence IT outsourcing performance: An investigation of the moderated mediation effects

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Science Research Management ›› 2015, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (8) : 104-111.

Wang Jianjun, Zhao Jinhui

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Abstract

Based on the social capital theory, this paper builds up a mediated moderation model to understand the influence of Guanxi on IT outsourcing performance, and examine the mediation role of service quality and the moderation effect of Guanxi from the vendors' perspective. We collected a sample of 237 managers from Chinese IT outsourcing companies, and applied the structural equation model and the moderation method to empirically test the model and the hypothesis. The results indicated that: (1) Guanxi is taking service quality as fully intermediate variable to impact indirectly and positively the vendors' IT outsourcing performance, while its direct effect is not significant; (2) Guanxi can moderate negatively the mediation role of service quality. The effect of service quality on vendors' IT outsourcing performance under the low level of Guanxi is strikingly greater than that under the high level of Guanxi.

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IT outsourcing performance / Guanxi / service quality / moderated mediation

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Wang Jianjun, Zhao Jinhui. How Guanxi influence IT outsourcing performance: An investigation of the moderated mediation effects[J]. Science Research Management. 2015, 36(8): 104-111

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