Exploring the effects of liminality on corporate social responsibility in inter-firm outsourcing relationships

Authors

Brian Nicholson, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKFollow
Ron Babin, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
Steve Briggs, Leadership Partner, Gartner Group, Manchester, UK

Document Type

Research Article

Abstract

This article draws on the evidence gathered from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) research project in the area of global information technology (IT) outsourcing to examine the impact of liminality. IT outsourcing offers a novel context to study this phenomena, as it operates across the boundaries of both firm and country. The case study focuses on the specific project of a school in India, as the liminal space found ‘betwixt and between’ the client and provider of IT outsourcing services. Three stages of liminality are identified: separation (divestiture), transition (liminality) and incorporation (investiture); through the interpretive analysis of the empirical material. The construct of communitas is proposed for analysing the impact of liminality on the relationship between an outsourcing client and the provider. The understanding of liminality and communitas has both theoretical and practical implications, and contributes to the understanding of relationships and the wider role of CSR in global IT outsourcing.

DOI

10.1057/jit.2015.24

Recommended Citation

Nicholson, Brian; Babin, Ron; and Briggs, Steve (2017) "Exploring the effects of liminality on corporate social responsibility in inter-firm outsourcing relationships," Journal of Information Technology: Vol. 32: Iss. 1, Article 4.
DOI: 10.1057/jit.2015.24
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jit/vol32/iss1/4