Asia-Pacific Global Sourcing Conference

23-25 September 2016
Renmin University, Beijing, China

A call for Papers for the 1st Asia-Pacific Global Sourcing Conference, which will be held on September 23-25, 2016 in Renmin University of China, Beijing, China.

See the website

The conference will aim to explore how new and emerging forms of outsourcing and offshoring challenge sourcing practices and theories, and consequently identify new directions for research and practice. The conference aims to bring together viewpoints from various disciplines, including information systems, international business, operation management and strategy on global sourcing of IT, Business Services and Innovation.

The keynote speech will be delivered by Professor Sirkka Jarvenpaa, Rauscher Pierce Refsnes Chair in Business Administration, University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Jarvenpaa is known for her academic leadership in inter-organisational research, focusing on collaborative modes including outsourcing.

Paper Track

Research articles, work in progress and ‘focus on practice’ papers that investigate topics relating to global outsourcing and offshoring. Some of the specific themes that are of interest include:


* Sourcing decision making
* Sourcing configurations (multi-sourcing, plural sourcing, supplier networks, eco-systems)
* Relational and contractual governance issues
* Supplier and client capabilities and competences
* Innovation through outsourcing
* Cultural and social issues
* Knowledge issues in outsourcing
* Impact sourcing
* Automation in outsourcing
* Cloud services (as service economy)
* Crowdsourcing
* Repatriation/backsourcing

We are interested in papers that are both conceptual and empirically based.

Selected papers from the conference will be published as book chapters in Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing<http://www.springer.com/series/7911> (by Springer<http://www.springer.com>).

Important Dates:
· May 30th 2016: Registration opens
· June 10th 2016: Deadline to submit extended abstract
· June 17th 2016: Notification of accepted extended abstract
· August 1st 2016: Early registration deadline
· August 20th 2016: Deadline to submit full paper
· September 23-25 2016: Conference

Extended abstracts should be in English, between 600-800 words and should include contact details of all authors. Full papers (in English) should not exceed 9,000 words.
All submissions should be sent in MS Word format to: asia.pacific.globalsourcing@gmail.com<mailto:asia.pacific.globalsourcing@gmail.com>
with 'Abstract submission APGSC 2016' as the subject of the e-mail.

Research articles and areas

You will find articles in academic journals via the UCD Library pages, making sure you are logged into UCD Connect first so that the University's journal access permission is activated.

Two sites worth looking at for both themes and research paper template (look for submission guidelines).

• ECIS 2016 http://www.ecis2016.eu/en/RESEARCH-PAPERS.html
• ICIS 2016 http://icis2016.aisnet.org/call-dates/tracks/

The AIS hosts a digital library, publicly searchable. The AIS library is available at
http://aisel.aisnet.org/ (access is restricted to members of the AIS)

Answering questions and grading

I use grade descriptors (A+, A... C-, D+ etc) rather than % grades. You should search UCD for definitions/explanations of grade descriptors. I have posted similar material on the website.
In terms of answering prosaic, essay style questions you can employe a couple of approaches, they all amount to the same thing however, know your material, produce your own thoughtful response, practice using past papers.
Sometimes students struggle more with organising their thoughts, the following might be of help:

A simple style of raising questions, responding, and further questioning responding in the Socratic style is ok. So long as you demonstrate your knowledge and answer the question.

In terms or organising your thoughts, as mentioned in class the so-called Hegelian approach; thesis, anti-thesis, synthesis might be useful:

1. Simple bullet points >
2. Detailed definitions >
3. Examples of application >
4. Critical analysis of practical use >
5. Own interpretation and synthesis >

In a similar fashion you might organise a response inspired by Bloom’s cumulative (classification) of knowledge :
1.Data/factual statements (rules)
2.Simple description, explanation (theories)
3.Straight forward application, applied
4.Analysis of unexpected outcomes
5.Synthesis of new or adapted theory
6.Expert reflective application in use.

Own team offshore?

This is a key question for startups, to build your own team or to outsource? Although some organisations have had great experiences building tech purely through outsourcing relationships, nearly everyone advises build your own team, without fail.
But what if you're too small to attract high calibre talent locally or the local market is too small and overheated (Dublin, Ireland anyone?)?
Yousef Awad has written an interesting reflection addressing these questions and his learning from the experience. It's an InfoQ post titled "Build Your Own Offshore Development Team - or Not?"
He is of the opinion that you can and should outsource development when starting out, and continue to do it if you start bringing the work back in-house.

Governance white board

Notes collected from the workshop on governance.

Crowd and Microsourcing, who wins, who loses?

Microsourcing, who wins, who loses? Gefen & Carmel (2008) suggest microsourcing works well for the small supplier, and Lehdonvirta's research appears to confirm it (look at slides 9 onwards). Microworkers appear to be treated more equitably.

Knowledge Map of the Virtual Economy: an Introduction

View more presentations from Vili Lehdonvirta

Gefen & Carmel (2008) show that cost is a significant driver towards microsourcing, but access to skills seems to be a strong incentive for customers to source directly from micro suppliers. Why do the most sophisticated (US) markets seek these offshore micro-suppliers? Principally to address resource shortages in their local markets and furthermore, customers return to the same supplier if initially satisfied and continue to pay a ‘fair price’. The satisfied customer returns again and again, caring less and less if the work is offshore, caring more that they have access to the specialist wherever they are. The world hasn't been 'flattened' (Friedman, 2005), but it appears to be 'flatter'.

References

• Friedman, T. L. (2005) The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
• Gefen, D. & Carmel, E. (2008) Is the World Really Flat? A Look at Offshoring at an Online Programming Marketplace. MIS Quarterly, 32, 367-384.
• Carmel's student microsourcing exercise (errancarmel.blogspot.com)

The 11th Global Sourcing Workshop

An invitation from Ilan Oshri via lists.aisnet.org, posted on 4 Apr 2016.

Following the success of the past Global Sourcing Workshops, we are pleased to release this Call for Papers for the 11th Global Sourcing Workshop which will be held February 22-25, 2017 in La Thuile, Italy.

The workshop will aim to explore how new and emerging forms of outsourcing and offshoring challenge sourcing practices and theories, and consequently identify new directions for research and practice. This workshop aims to bring together viewpoints from various disciplines, including IB, Strategy, OM, OB and IS on global sourcing of IT, Business Services and Innovation. We also focus on teaching aspects related to outsourcing and offshoring with fast track for publishing high quality teaching cases in Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases<http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jittc/index.html>.

Paper Track

We invite research articles, work in progress and ‘focus on practice’ papers that investigate topics relating to global outsourcing and offshoring. In particular, the workshop will endeavour to present the views from client, supplier and advisory viewpoints, from strategic, operational and social perspectives. Some of the specific themes that are of interest in this workshop are:

• New and emerging sourcing models including cloud-services, crowdsourcing, Robotics Process Automation & impact sourcing
• Sourcing decision making
• Sourcing configurations (multi-sourcing, bundle services, etc.)
• Supplier and client capabilities and competences
• Contractual and relational governance
• Captive (in-house) and shared service centres
• Backsourcing/re-shoring
• Knowledge-intensive services and innovation in outsourcing/offshoring
• Cultural and social aspects of sourcing practice
• Emerging topics and concepts in sourcing

We are interested in papers that are both conceptual and empirically-based.

Teaching Cases Track

We are interested in teaching cases on outsourcing and offshoring which we would consider for publication in Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases<http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jittc/index.html> (JITTC).
Please note that a small conference venue has been reserved with guaranteed attendance restricted to those having papers accepted for presentation. Participants need to book early to secure reserved accommodation at the conference location or other rooms nearby. See full details on our website: http://www.globalsourcing.org.uk/workshop
Since 2010 we have been publishing selected papers as book chapters in Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing<http://www.springer.com/series/7911> (by Springer<http://www.springer.com>). It is likely that we will publish another book based on the papers from this Workshop. Furthermore, selected papers will be invited to submit a revised version of their paper to be considered for publication in Journal of Information Technology<http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jit/index.html> and high quality teaching cases in JITTC<http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jittc/index.html>.

Important Dates:

• September 9th 2016 – Deadline to submit extended abstracts/teaching proposals to the Workshop on Global Sourcing (please note that we welcome early submission of abstracts and will aim to send the decision within 3 weeks).
• Paper Track: Extended abstracts should be between 600-800 words and should include contact details of all authors.
• Teaching Track: Proposals for teaching cases should be between 600-800 words and include the teaching case outline and learning objectives. For teaching cases, the submission of full teaching case and teaching notes will be required.
• September 23rd 2016 - Notification of accepted extended abstracts/teaching proposals
• November 1st 2016 - Registration deadline. (Registration fees will be £250 (British pounds) per person which include a reception and 2 dinners.)
• December 16th 2016 – Deadline to submit full papers/teaching cases to the Workshop on Global Sourcing
• February 1st 2017 – Reviews sent to authors
• February 22-25, 2017 – Workshop on Global Sourcing, La Thuile, Italy

All submissions should be sent in MS Word format to: theglobalsourcingworkshop@gmail.com<mailto:theglobalsourcingworkshop@gmail.com>
with 'Abstract submission GSW 2017' as the subject of the e-mail.
For preparation of full papers please follow Guidelines for Authors posted on the Workshop site: http://www.globalsourcing.org.uk/workshop/guidelines/

Workshop Organizers:
Julia Kotlarsky, Ilan Oshri and Leslie Willcocks

Information about La Thuile: http://www.lathuile.it/

Prepare research papers "as if" to submit to ICIS 2016

Exercise: Prepare your paper as if for submitting it for review at ICIS 2016
What track would you consider matching your paper with?

This year's conference theme is “Digital Innovation at the Crossroads.”

See  (see http://icis2016.aisnet.org/). See social updates at #icis2016 on Twitter
The document template (link here).

Submission guidelines here

http://icis2016.aisnet.org/call-dates/submission-guidelines/
If you are unclear about how to format your paper review the "Formatting Checklist" (link here)
http://icis2016.aisnet.org/call-dates/submission-guidelines/formatting-checklist/

The thematic tracks are:

• Conference Theme Track: Digital Innovation at the Crossroads
• Crowdsourcing, Crowdfunding, Blockchain and the Sharing Economy
• Data Science and Business Analytics
• E-Business and E-Government
• Economics and Value of IS
• General IS Topics
• Human Behavior in IS
• Human-Computer Interaction
• IS Curriculum and Education
• IS Design and Business Process Management
• IS in Healthcare
• IS in Organizations and Society
• IS Security and Privacy
• IS Strategy, Governance, and Sourcing
• IT Implementation, Adoption, and Use
• Managing IS Projects and IS Development
• Methodological and Philosophical Foundations of IS
• Panels
• Practice-oriented Research
• Social Media and Digital Collaboration
• Sustainability and Societal Impacts of IS