An Empirical Study of Information Technology Outsourcing: Benefits, Risks, and Performance Implications

In this paper, we develop a conceptual model of information technology outsourcing using a set of benefits and risks as determinants and performance as consequences. We then test our model using primary data from a questionnaire survey involving the chief information officers in 159 Fortune 500 corporations, combined with appropriate seeondarydata from corporate financial statements. Our results show that technical and business benefits as well ascontrolandopportunismrisksarecriticalexplanatoryfactorsforoutsourcing. Inaddition,wedemonstratethat outsourcing leads to superior performance but this is moderated by cost structure of the firm

ELECTRONIC INTEGRATION AND STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY

Strategic advantage through information technology is a popular theme, but the extent of research support is sporadic, minimal, and unsystematic. This paper reports some preliminary results of a quasiexperimental study on the role of dedicated electronic integration (between an insurance carrier and its independent agents in the Property and Casualty market) in providing strategic benefits to this carrier. The results indicate that the agents that are electronically interfaced with the carrier report improvements in a set of four performance factors in the expected direction (six months after system installation) but statistically different from a matched set of non-interfaced agents (based on size, state, and location category) only in terms of increases in efficiency (number of policies) but not in terms of effectiveness (increase in financial performance indices). Further, within the sample of electronicallyinterfaced agents, over a one-year period after integration, the differential performance positions continue for this factor, raising the possibility of learning effects. Some explanations, extensions and research implications are outlined

The Role of Indirect Network Effects in Explaining Platform Dominance in the Video Game Industry (2002-2006): A Network Perspective

Going beyond the traditional operationalization of indirect network effects as the number of complements available, this study focuses on the network positions of platforms and complementors to explain platform dominance. We use data from the U.S. home video game industry between 2002 and 2006 to test our model. While the impact of degree of linkages with complementors is not significant, our findings support that platform dominance is positively influenced by a greater variety of links with complementors and lesser degree of overlap with other platforms. We find support for the impact of complementor dominance on platform dominance and that this impact decreases with platform age. Our results have important implications for research in indirect network effects and also important managerial implications. Platform providers need to focus on making their platforms more heterogeneous and providing the third party developers with toolkits that encourage them to develop titles exclusively for a platform

Effect of the Intrinsic Width on the Piezoelectric Force Microscopy of a Single Ferroelectric Domain Wall

Intrinsic domain wall width is a fundamental parameter that reflects bulk ferroelectric properties and governs the performance of ferroelectric memory devices. We present closed-form analytical expressions for vertical and lateral piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM) profiles for the conical and disc models of the tip, beyond point charge and sphere approximations. The analysis takes into account the finite intrinsic width of the domain wall, and dielectric anisotropy of the material. These analytical expressions provide insight into the mechanisms of PFM image formation and can be used for quantitative analysis of the PFM domain wall profiles. PFM profile of a realistic domain wall is shown to be the convolution of its intrinsic profile and resolution function of PFM.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, 3 Appendices, To be submitted to J. Appl. Phy

Ghost Imaging without Discord

Ragy and Adesso argue that quantum discord is involved in the formation of a pseudothermal ghost image. We show that quantum discord plays no role in spatial light modulator ghost imaging, i.e., ghost-image formation based on structured illumination realized with laser light that has undergone spatial light modulation by the output from a pseudorandom number generator. Our analysis thus casts doubt on the degree to which quantum discord is necessary for ghost imaging.United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Army Research Office Award W911NF-10-1-0404

Relativistic spin precession in the binary PSR J1141−-6545

PSR J1141$-$6545 is a precessing binary pulsar that has the rare potential to reveal the two-dimensional structure of a non-recycled pulsar emission cone. It has undergone $\sim 25 \deg$ of relativistic spin precession in the $\sim18$ years since its discovery. In this paper, we present a detailed Bayesian analysis of the precessional evolution of the width of the total intensity profile, to understand the changes to the line-of-sight impact angle ($\beta$) of the pulsar using four different physically motivated prior distribution models. Although we cannot statistically differentiate between the models with confidence, the temporal evolution of the linear and circular polarisations strongly argue that our line-of-sight crossed the magnetic pole around MJD 54000 and that only two models remain viable. For both these models, it appears likely that the pulsar will precess out of our line-of-sight in the next $3-5$ years, assuming a simple beam geometry. Marginalising over $\beta$ suggests that the pulsar is a near-orthogonal rotator and provides the first polarization-independent estimate of the scale factor ($\mathbb{A}$) that relates the pulsar beam opening angle ($\rho$) to its rotational period ($P$) as $\rho = \mathbb{A}P^{-0.5}$ : we find it to be $> 6 \rm~deg~s^{0.5}$ at 1.4 GHz with 99\% confidence. If all pulsars emit from opposite poles of a dipolar magnetic field with comparable brightness, we might expect to see evidence of an interpulse arising in PSR J1141$-$6545, unless the emission is patchy.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letter