Introduction

This book addresses the buying organizations' perspective on risks, relationships, and success factors for accomplishing a successful IT Outsourcing (ITO). Today’s landscape in ITO is complex and these perspectives are important in ITO and therefore there is still a need for it to be further explored.

Furthermore, the studies concerned the risks, relationships, and success factors in ITO need to be extended in more large companies from different countries to better understand how we could improve the ITO in these companies.

Research Approach

In order to address this issue, the authors of this book have performed different studies that span about 10 years concerning the risks, relationships, and success factors in ITO in large companies in Sweden. The authors have focused on both theoretical and practical aspects concerning risks, relationships, and success factors in ITO and they have used transaction cost theory, agency theory, and core competency theory as main theories to support their research.

The data concerning this study has been collected at two different times during the last 10 years with about five years' difference between them. In this way, the performed research has enabled a comparison of the data collected on two different periods in time including the related changes.

Practical Implications

The book will help researchers in ITO as well as practitioners like ITO decision makers in large companies to understand how to mitigate the ITO risks, improve their ITO relationships, and identify the ITO success factors.