outsourcing

Managers in developed countries are increasingly interested in outsourcing as a potential source of competitiveness and value creation. One of the most useful outsourcing activities in service sector is information system/technology outsourcing. This paper is trying to determine the ISP managers’ perceived risks and benefits of IT/IS outsourcing and also the rate of awareness about potential of IT/IS outsourcing. Design/methodology/approach - In order to achieve those aims, we first review the previous literature on this topic and later analyze the results of a survey carried out from 30 ISPs managers in Tehran using the structured interview method. Findings: According to the ISPs under analysis, the main advantage of IT outsourcing is reducing/controlling the general cost while the main risk is the excessive dependence on the provider. Nevertheless, some characteristics of the ISPs (e.g. their size and outsourcing level) can determine to some extent what risks and benefits are more relevant. Originality /value: The conclusions explains that total IT/IS outsourcing can turn out to be a very dangerous strategy, mainly due to the dependence it creates. However, it can enable the ISP managers to reduce and/or control the general cost of building a new IT/IS service. The paper investigates the advantages, risks and some dimensions of IT/IS outsourcing decisions in ISPs of Tehran which can potentially develop the services in-house. Therefore, the “make-or-buy” decision for managers of ISPs requires even more attention to these aspects of IT/IS outsourcing (advantages, risks and decision criteria) than other service companies.

Despite numerous upstream communications, there is still no comprehensive and reliable model for implementing these tasks; neither in the literature nor in oil & gas industry. Previously developed models focus more on the outsourcing process and it seems that there is no outsourcing model that has been developed with an eye to utilizing internal capabilities in a portfolio of alliances and be compatible with the unique characteristics of the Iran's oil and gas industry. In an attempt to validate the components of the "Model of development outsourcing physical assets in the oil and gas industry, with the approach of upgrading internal capacity" this study used a questionnaire in a Likert scale (very high, high, moderate, low, and very low). From the population, 102 people participated and a total of 100 completed questionnaires received. Using confirmatory factor analysis the validity of the variables and the questionnaire were examined. In this research, SPSS and Smart PLS softwares were used and the error probability level was considered α = 0.05. The results showed that the model has a good fit. According to the Geiser index, the fit of the model was medium to high and the goodness of fit criterion was equal to 461.0 and indicates the optimal fit of the model.

Despite its role in achieving the frontiers of knowledge and interacting with the international community, English does not have its proper place in the Iranian General Education system, resulting in poor English education in school, hence, students’ poor command of English. This study explores the feasibility of outsourcing English teaching and entrusting this enterprise to the private sector. To this end, a questionnaire was developed from expert interviews to canvass 376 English teachers, students, and parents, as primary stakeholders, across the country. An exploration of respondents’ attitudes toward outsourcing English teaching indicated the agreement of the majority of the respondents with this idea of English education privatization. Moreover, political and ideological perspectives imply that a shift from school to institute is needed if we expect effective communication-based language teaching and learning. This may necessitate a radical reform in the language policy of the country and may even lead to the decentralization of English education due to regional and cultural needs. The study has implications regarding possible fundamental changes in language planning in the formal education system of the country.