Contextual factors, knowledge processes and performance in global sourcing of IT services: An investigation in China

Copyright @ 2011, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Reuse of this article has been approved by the publisher.In this paper, the authors explore the influences of two major contextual factors—supplier team members’ cultural understanding and trust relationship—on knowledge processes and performance in global sourcing of IT services. The authors discuss a joint investigation conducted by a cross-cultural research team in China. Cultural understanding is measured by individualism with guanxi and mianzi, two Chinese cultural concepts, and trust relationship is measured by adjusting trust, a notion reflecting the uniqueness of the Chinese people. Knowledge processes are characterized by knowledge sharing. Performance is measured by the outcomes of global sourcing, which is represented by product success and personal satisfaction. Data are collected in 13 companies in Xi’an Software Park, with 200 structured questionnaires distributed to knowledge workers. The results of quantitative data analysis indicate that cultural understanding influences trust relationship greatly, as well as knowledge sharing and performance in global sourcing of IT services. Trust relationship significantly impacts knowledge sharing, whereas trust relationship and knowledge sharing have no impact on performance. This study suggests that special aspects of the Chinese context have significant direct impacts on knowledge processes while no direct and immediate impacts on performance in global sourcing of IT services.National Natural Science Foundation of China, Program for Humanity and Social Science Research, Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University in China and Brunel University's Research Development Fund

A Cross-Cultural Study of Smartphone Adoption in Uzbekistan and South Korea

Smartphone technology has changed how mobile phones are perceived and used in daily life. In 2015, global smartphone sales reached 1.4 billion units, representing an increase of 14.4 percent from 2014. Despite this popularity, penetration rates vary significantly across countries, with a global median of 43%. The main purpose of this research is to examine smartphone adoption in Uzbekistan and South Korea based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and to categorize constructs according to the Kano model. The findings indicate significant differences between South Korea and Uzbekistan in terms of technology adoption as a whole and perception of UTAUT constructs.peerReviewe