Contractual and Relational Governance in Information Systems Outsourcing Relationships

Many companies outsource parts of their information systems (IS) function to external service providers. However, many IS outsourcing projects fail. One of the main reasons for this failure is a lack of knowledge of appropriate governance of the relationship between client and vendor. While research indicates that the two main governance mechanisms, i.e., contractual and relational governance, may change over time, there is no consensus on how and why they change. A dynamic view on IS outsourcing governance is developed to understand those governance changes. This contributes to the ongoing scholarly debate on the relationship between contractual and relational governance, i.e., whether they act as complements or substitutes. In addition, one research article focuses on the impact of information technologies on the governance of IS outsourcing projects. The four research projects included in this book provide insights into how IS outsourcing governance may be improved.