October 3, 2006

Greetings -

We are conducting a study that examines how companies make outsourcing decisions and then work with the supplier to complete the project. Since this is currently a topic of concern to many companies, we were hoping that you would be willing to help us with this research by completing the enclosed survey. It should take no more than 10-15 minutes of your time.

You are being asked to participate in this survey only if you have previous experience in outsourcing projects from the client side. The survey asks questions about multiple phases of a single outsourcing project, including how the supplier was selected and the results of the project. If you have not observed or been involved with an outsourcing project in this way, it would be very helpful if you could pass the survey on to a co-worker who could complete the survey.

The Clarkson University Human Subjects Review Board has approved this survey. Participation in this survey is completely voluntary and all information gathered will be anonymous. You will be asked to indicate your consent to participate on the top of the survey. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the survey, please contact either Dr. Sandra Fisher at 315-268-6430 or or Dr. Leslie Russek, Chair of the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board, at 315-268-3761 or .

In return for your participation, we would be happy to provide you with a summary of the results after the data analysis is complete. To obtain a copy of the results, please contact Dr. Fisher via email or return the enclosed postcard.

We greatly appreciate your time and assistance.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Wasserman Sandra L. Fisher


Outsourcing Decision Making Study

Statement of Consent

□ I agree to participate in this survey. I understand my information will be anonymous, and will be reported only in group or aggregate form. (Check box if you agree.)

  1. Please think of an outsourcing project with your current or former employer that meets the following criteria:

·  Your firm was the client organization, outsourcing something to an outside vendor,

·  The project was conducted within the last three years,

·  You were involved in (or observed) the decision to select the vendor, and

·  You are knowledgeable of the project outcomes.

Briefly describe the project: ______

______

If you cannot identify such a project, you should not complete this survey. We thank you for your willingness to participate. Please give the survey to a co-worker who may be able to complete it.

  1. Which type of business activity or function was outsourced in this project? (circle best answer)

a. Manufacturing / d. Human resources / g. Marketing/advertising
b. Information technology / e. Finance/accounting / h. Customer service
c. Research and development / f. Business process reengineering / i. Other: (please describe)
______

3. Please circle the number that best describes your level of agreement with each of the following statements.

/
Strongly agree
/
Agree
/
Neither agree nor disagree
/
Disagree
/
Strongly disagree
/
The business activity/function outsourced in this project:
a.  Is a critical function for the current and future success of the firm. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b.  Is a function at which it is important for our firm to excel. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c.  Is critical for us to build or maintain market leadership. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d.  Has great strategic significance for the company. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e.  Is a core competency for the company. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
This project involved:
f. Knowledge or technology that was proprietary to the firm. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
g.  Knowledge or ideas that the company would prefer not to share with competitors. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
h.  Technology or knowledge unique to the firm. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

4. Approximately how long did the project last? ______

5. What was the approximate dollar value of the contract? ______

6. Was this the first time this vendor/supplier had done work for the company? YES NO

Please respond to the rest of the survey with this project in mind.

7. To what extent does your business unit outsource activities or processes in each of the following business functions? Please circle the number that best describes your answer.

/
Long-term outsourcing of this entire function.
/
Long-term outsourcing of multiple aspects of the function.
/
Regular outsourcing of minor, stand-alone tasks.
/
Occasional outsourcing of minor, stand-alone tasks.
/
No outsourcing.
/
a.  Manufacturing / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b.  Information technology / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c.  Research and development / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d.  Human resources / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e.  Finance/accounting / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. Business process reengineering / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
g.  Marketing/advertising / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
h.  Customer service / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
i. Other (please describe) ______/ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

8. When selecting the vendor/service provider for this contract, to what extent were the following actions taken?

Please circle the number that best describes your answer.

/
To a great extent.
/
To a considerable extent.
/
To a moderate extent.
/
To a limited extent.
/
Not at all.
/
a.  Conducted background checks on key vendor personnel. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b.  Conducted reference checks or past performance audits of vendors’ ability to appropriately handle intellectual property. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c.  Conducted checks for lawsuits or complaints against the potential vendor regarding intellectual property disputes. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d.  Assessed potential vendors’ IT/network security infrastructure. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e.  Investigated intellectual property laws in the vendor firm’s country of origin. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. Divided work into subprojects (i.e., used multisourcing) to minimize the risk of losing intellectual property. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
g.  Other (please describe) ______/ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
9. To what extent were the following activities performed during the project?

Please circle the number that best describes your answer.

/

To a great extent.

/

To a considerable extent.

/

To a moderate extent.

/

To a limited extent.

/

Not at all.

/
a.  Required contractor personnel to sign non-disclosure and/or non-compete agreements. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b.  Incorporated specific language in contracts addressing intellectual property rights. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c.  Implemented company practices to mark and control any confidential or proprietary information. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d.  Conducted ongoing, active monitoring for intellectual property leaks/loss. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e.  Limited contractor access to information/documents to only what is necessary for completing the work. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. Conducted training for contractor personnel on maintaining information security. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
g.  Ensured the return or destruction of information/documents used by the contractor to complete the work. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
h.  The project manager encouraged our employees on the project team to learn from the contractors. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
i. Required contractors to prepare complete and comprehensive documentation (e.g., manuals, design specifications). / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
j. The team conducted “lessons learned” exercises to capture organizational knowledge developed as part of the project. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
k. Contractor personnel transferred know-how of the product or service to employees through demo or training. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
l. Stored new knowledge created during project in a format accessible by others (e.g., database). / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
10. This next set of items asks about the success of the outsourcing project.

Please circle the number that best describes your answer.

/

Strongly agree

/

Agree

/

Neither agree nor disagree

/

Disagree

/

Strongly disagree

/
a.  Generally speaking, I was satisfied with this vendor’s performance. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b.  The vendor met the performance objectives. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c.  I was satisfied with the kind of work this vendor performed in this contract. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d.  Overall, I was satisfied with the roles and responsibilities this vendor performed in this contract. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e.  If needed, we would select this vendor again. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. If asked, we would recommend this vendor to others. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
g.  If asked, we would act as a reference site for this vendor. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
11. The following performance objectives were utilized in the project:

Please circle the number that best describes your answer.

/

Strongly agree

/

Agree

/

Neither agree nor disagree

/

Disagree

/

Strongly disagree

/
a.  Financial objectives (e.g., total cost, variance from budget) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b.  Measurable quality objectives / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c.  Schedule objectives (e.g., timeliness) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d.  Perceptions of customer satisfaction / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e.  Information security objectives (e.g., information was adequately protected). / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. Knowledge management objectives / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

12. Demographic Items

Your responses to the following items will help us assess the representativeness of our sample. You will not be personally identified in any reports.

a.  Sex: (please circle one) Male Female

b. Age: ______

c.  Length of time you have worked at your current organization: ______

d. Your organization is best described as (circle one):

1) Manufacturing

2) Service

3) Other (please describe) ______

e.  Approximate number of employees in your organization: ______

Thank you for your assistance with this project!

Please return your survey via fax to 315-268-3810 or in the postage paid envelope provided.

If you have any questions about the survey or would like to request a copy of the final research report, please contact Dr. Sandra Fisher, Clarkson University, at 315-268-6430 or .

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