Outsourcing HR as a competitive strategy? A literature review and an assessment of implications

Human Resource Management

Volumn 44, Issue 4, 2005, Pages 413-432

  Cooke, Fang Lee ^a   Shen, Jie ^b   Mcbride, Anne ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 29144457502     PISSN: 00904848     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/hrm.20082     Document Type: Review

References (89)

1. Adams, K. (1991). Externalization vs. specialization: What is happening to personnel? Human Resource Management Journal, 1(4), 40-54.
2. Andersen, A. (1996). Outsourcing human resource functions. Supervision, 57, 3.
3. Araujo, L. (1998). Knowing and learning as networking. Management Learning, 29, 317-336.
4. Atkinson, J. (1984, August). Manpower strategies for flexible organizations. Personnel Management, pp. 28-31.
5. Baker, D. (1996). Are you throwing money away by outsourcing? Personnel Journal, 75(11), 105-107.
6. Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17, 99-120.
7. Boland, R., & Tenkasi, R. (1995). Perspective making and perspective taking in communities of knowing. Organization Science, 6, 350-372.
8. Bosch, G., Webster, J., & Weisbach, H. J. (2000). New organizational forms in the informational society. In K. Ducatel, J.Webster, & W. Herrmann (Eds.), The information society in Europe: Work and life in an age of globalization (pp. 99-117). Oxford, UK: Rowman & Littlefield.
9. Brenner, L. (1996, March). The disappearing HR department. CFO:The Magazine for Senior Financial Executives, pp. 61-64.
10. Brown, J. S., & Duguid, P. (1991). Organizational learning and communities-of-practice: Toward a unified view of working, learning, and innovation. Organization Science, 2, 40-57.
11. Caldwell, B. (1996). Outsourcing expands beyond IT. Information Week, 584, 115.
12. Caulkin, S. (2002, August 25). Is there anybody on the line? The Observer, p. 10.
13. Child, J., & Faulkner, D. (1998). Strategies of co-operation: Managing alliances, networks, and joint ventures. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
14. Colling, T. (1999).Tendering and outsourcing: Working in the contract state? In S. Corby & G. White (Eds.), Employee relations in the public services: Themes and issues (pp. 136-155). London: Routledge.
15. Conner, K. R., & Prahalad, C. K. (1996). A resourced-based theory of the firm: Knowledge versus opportunism. Organizational Science, 7, 477-501.
16. Cook, M. (1999). Outsourcing human resources functions. NewYork: Amacom.
17. Cooke, F L. (2001). Outsourcing maintenance work to increase organizational competitiveness? A study of five plants. Paper for the Annual Work, Employment and Society Conference. University of Nottingham, UK.
18. Cooke, F. L. (2002). The important role of the maintenance workforce in technological change - A much neglected aspect. Human Relations, 55, 963-988.
19. Cooke, F. L. (2003). Maintaining change: The maintenance function and the change process. New Technology, Work and Employment, 18, 35-49.
20. Cooke, F. L., Earnshaw, J., Marchington, M., & Rubery, J. (2004). For better and for worse? Transfer of undertaking and the reshaping of employment relations. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 15, 276-294.
21. Cooke, F. L., Hebson, G., & Carroll, M. (2005). Organizational commitment, identity and loyalty. In M. Marchington, D. Grimshaw, J. Rubery, & H. Willmott (Eds.), Fragmenting work: Blurring boundaries and disordering hierarchies (pp. 179-198). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
22. Crabb, S. (2003, February 20). HR facing offshore boom. People Management, p. 7.
23. Currie, G., & Procter, S. (2001). Exploring the relationship between HR and middle managers. Human Resource Management Journal, 11(3), 53-69.
24. Domberger, S. (1998). The contracting organization: A strategic guide to outsourcing. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
25. Finn, W. (1999).The ins and outs of human resources. Director, 53, 66-67.
26. Fox, A. (1974). Beyond contract: Work, power and trust relations. London: Faber and Faber.
27. Greer, C., Youngblood, S., & Gray, D. (1999). Human resource management outsourcing: The make or buy decision. Academy of Management Executive, 13(3), 85-96.
28. Hall, L., &Torrington, D. (1998).The human resource function:The dynamics of change and development. London: Financial Times-Pitman Publishing.
29. Hammond, D. (2001, October 25). BAE in HR export drive. People Management, p. 8.
30. Hammond, D. (2002, June 13). Firms resist HR outsourcing. People Management, p. 8.
31. Harkins, P., Brown, S., & Sullivan, R. (1995). Shining new light on a growing trend. HR Magazine, 40(12), 75-79.
32. Higginbottom, K. (2001, November 12). BP learns outsourcing lesson. People Management, p. 8.
33. Higginbottom, K. (2002, January 24). Prudential outsourcing HR in US. People Management, p. 10.
34. Huge outsourcing hits HR jobs. (2000, January 6). People Management, p. 13.
35. Kessler, I., Coyle-Shapiro, J., & Purcell, J. (1999). Outsourcing and the employee perspective. Human Resource Management Journal, 9(2), 5-19.
36. Klaas, B. S., McClendon, J. A., & Gainey,T. W. (2001). Outsourcing HR: The impact of organizational characteristics. Human Resource Management, 40, 125-138.
37. Laabs, J. (1993). Why HR is turning to outsourcing. Personnel Journal, 72, 92-101.
38. Legge, K. (1995). Human resource management: Rhetorics and realities. London: Macmillan.
39. Liff, S. (1997). Constructing HR information systems. Human Resource Management Journal, 7(2), 18-31.
40. Manwaring, T. (1984). The extended internal labour market. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 8, 161-187.
41. Marchington, M., Cooke, F. L., & Hebson, G. (2003). Performing for the "customer": Managing housing benefit operations across organizational boundaries. Local Government Studies, 29, 51-74.
42. Marchington, M., & Parker, P. (1990). Changing patterns of employee relations. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
43. Marchington, M., &Wilkinson, A. (2002). People management and development. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
44. Maurer, R., & Mobley, N. (1998, November). Outsourcing: Is it the HR department of the future? HR Focus, pp. 9-10.
45. McConville, T., & Holden, L. (1999).The filling in the sandwich: HRM and middle managers in the health sector. Personnel Review, 5, 406-424.
46. Mobley, N. (2000, October). What you need to know now about outsourcing HR functions. HR Focus, pp. 7-10.
47. National Economic Development Office (NEDO). (1986). Changing working patterns: How companies achieve flexibility to meet new needs. London: Author.
48. Oates, D. (1998). Outsourcing and the virtual organization: The incredible shrinking company. London: Century Business.
49. Oliver, C. (1997). Sustainable competitive advantage: Combining institutional and resource-based views. Strategic Management Journal, 18, 697-713.
50. Pavitt, K. (1991). Key characteristics of the large innovating firms. British Journal of Management, 29, 41-50.
51. Pentland, B. (1995). Information systems and organizational learning: The social epistemology of organizational knowledge systems. Accounting, Management and Information Technologies, 5, 1-21.
52. Pickard, J. (1998, July 23). Externally yours. People Management, pp. 34-37.
53. Pickard, J. (2000a, February 3). The truth is out there. People Management, pp. 48-50.
54. Pickard, J. (2000b, July 6). Study casts doubt on boom in outsourcing. People Management, p. 16.
55. Pickard, J. (2000c, November 23). A sellout strategy. People Management, pp. 32-35.
56. Pickard, J. (2000d, May 25). HR shows scant interest in e-business, survey says. People Management, p. 13.
57. Polanyi, M. (1966). The tacit dimension. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
58. Poliert, A. (1987). The 'flexible firm': A model in search of reality (or a policy in search of a practice)? Warwick Papers in Industrial Relations, No. 19. Coventry, UK: University of Warwick, Industrial Relations Research Unit.
59. Porter, M. (1990). The competitive advantage of nations. London: Macmillan.
60. Powell, W., Koput, K., & Smith-Doerr, L. (1996). Interorganizational collaboration and the locus of innovation: Networks of learning in biotechnology. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41, 116-145.
61. Prahalad, C. K., & Hamel, G. (1990, May-June). The core competence of the corporation. Harvard Business Review, pp. 79-91.
62. PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2002). Global human capital survey 2002. Executive briefing.
63. Procter, S., & Currie, G. (1999).The role of the personnel function: Roles, perceptions and processes in an NHS trust. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 10, 1077-1091.
64. Purcell, J. (1996, October). Contingent workers and human resource strategy: Rediscovering the coreperiphery dimension. Journal of Professional HRM, pp. 16-23.
65. Purcell, K., & Purcell, J. (1999). Insourcing, outsourcing and the growth of contingent labor as evidence of flexible employment strategies. Bulletin of Comparative Labor Relations, 35, 163-181.
66. Redman, T., & Wilkinson, A. (Eds.). (2001). Contemporary human resource management. London: Financial Times/Prentice-Hall.
67. Rippin, S. (2001, September 27). How to outsource the HR function. People Management, pp. 42-44.
68. Roberts, Z. (2001, October 25). Outsourcing and e-HR will expand. People Management, p. 10.
69. Rubery, J., Cooke, F. L., Marchington, M., & Earnshaw, J. (2003). Contracts, co-operation and employment relationships in a multi-employer environment. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 41, 265-289.
70. Rubery, J., Earnshaw, J., Marchington, M., Cooke, F. L., & Vincent, S. (2002). Changing organizational forms and the employment relationship. Journal of Management Studies, 39, 645-672.
71. Shaw, S., & Fairhurst, D. (1997). Outsourcing the HR function-personnel threat or valuable opportunity. Strategic Change, 6, 459-468.
72. Shen, J., Cooke, F. L., & McBride, A. (2004). Outsourcing HR: Implications for the role of the HR function and the workforce in the NHS. A review conducted under the Policy Research Programme project: New ways of working - A research facility to support HR policy making in the NHS, the Department of Health, UK.
73. Sisson, K., & Storey, J. (2000).The reality of human resource management. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
74. Streeck, W. (1987). The uncertainties of management in the management of uncertainty: Employers, labor relations and industrial adjustments in the 1980s. Work, Employment and Society, 1(3), 281-308.
75. Switser, J. (1997).Trends in human resource outsourcing. Management Accounting, 79, 22-24.
76. Taylor, C. (2001, April 5). Keep HR strategy in-house, warn outsourcing leaders. People Management, p. 13.
77. Torrington, D. (1989). Human resource management and the personnel function. In J. Storey (Ed.), New perspectives on human resource management (pp. 56-66). London: Routledge.
78. Torrington, D., & Mackay, L. (1986, February). Will consultants take over the personnel function? Personnel Management, pp. 34-37.
79. Turnbull, J. (2002). Inside outsourcing. People Management: Connected HR, pp. 10-11.
80. Tyson, S. (1987). The management of the personnel function. Journal of Management Studies, 24, 523-532.
81. Ulrich, D. (1996). Human resource champions. Boston: Harvard University Press.
82. Ulrich, D. (1998, January-February). A new mandate for human resources. Harvard Business Review, pp. 124-134.
83. Vernon, P., Philips, J., Brewster, C., & Ommeren, J. (2000). European trends in HR outsourcing. Report for William M. Mercer and the Cranfield School of Management.
84. Wenlock, H., & Purcell, J. (1990). The management of transfer of undertakings: A comparison of employee participation practices in the UK and the Netherlands. Human Resource Management Journal, 1, 25-45.
85. Wernerfelt, B. (1984). A resource-based view of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5, 171-180.
86. Williamson, O. E. (1985). The economic institutions of capitalism. New York: Free Press.
87. Willman, P. (1997). Appropriability of technology and internal organization. In I. McLoughlin & M. Harris (Eds.), Innovation, organizational change and technology (pp. 42-60). London: International Thomson Business Press.
88. Woodall, J., Gourlay, S., & Short, D. (2000). Trends in outsourcing HRD in the UK: The implications for strategic HRD. Working paper.
89. Wustermann, L. (2002). A pay-as-you-go personnel function. IRS Employment Review, 748(25), 39.