Project Management Techniques for Managing Cross- Cultural Differences in IT Offshore Outsourcing

摘要

There have been few empirical studies analyzing project management and control techniques to overcome the problems resulting from cross-cultural differences in IT offshore outsourcing projects. Therefore, our research question is "Which project management techniques can be employed to overcome problems due to cross-cultural differences in IT offshore projects?" which is analyzed through an in-depth interpretive single-case study from the European banking industry. The theoretical basis comprises national culture dimensions, effects of cross-cultural differences on project work, and project management and control theory. Our main conclusions are the identification of three project management techniques that can overcome problems due to cross-cultural differences ("cascading deadline approach", use of "operational process documents", and "tight controlling and testing"), as well as the theoretical contribution that outcome control is more effective than behavior control in IT offshore outsourcing contexts.