Purpose

This study aims to investigate how contract complexity and relational trust could impact offshore outsourcing innovation (OOI) performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study further examines the moderating effects of knowledge routines and joint actions on the relationships between contract complexity, as well as relational trust and OOI performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical investigation extends transaction cost economics and the relational view of buyer-supplier dyads in the context of offshore outsourcing SMEs. To test the hypotheses, the authors collected and analysed survey data from 200 European manufacturing SMEs that have existing offshore supplier relationships.

Findings

The results suggest that both complex contracts and relational trust as governance structures positively affect SMEs’ OOI performance. Additionally, while both formal knowledge routines and joint actions help strengthen the relationship between complex contracts and OOI, they showed no significant moderating effect on the relationship between relational trust and OOI. Furthermore, based on the results, the authors also develop a governance framework covering four configurations – fit, firm, flexible and fragile (4F).

Originality/value

The 4F governance scenarios – fit, firm, flexible and fragile – introduced in this study emphasise the need for a combination of contract complexity and relational trust mechanisms in OOI relationships. The 4F labelling has rich implications for practitioners on how interfirm outsourcing innovation relationships can be managed based on configurations of contractual and relational governance. The study also adds to the understanding of how SMEs’ specific characteristics (e.g. resource shortcomings and flexibility) may influence their OOI decisions in comparison with large firms.

中文翻译：

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中小企业的离岸创新外包：治理的4F视角

目的

本研究旨在调查合同复杂性和关系信任如何影响中小企业 (SME) 的离岸外包创新 (OOI) 绩效。本研究进一步检验了知识惯例和联合行动对合同复杂性、关系信任和 OOI 绩效之间关系的调节作用。

设计/方法/方法

在离岸外包中小企业的背景下，实证调查扩展了交易成本经济学和买卖双方关系的观点。为了检验这些假设，作者收集并分析了来自 200 家拥有离岸供应商关系的欧洲制造业中小企业的调查数据。

发现

结果表明，作为治理结构的复杂合同和关系信任都对中小企业的 OOI 绩效产生积极影响。此外，虽然正式的知识惯例和联合行动都有助于加强复杂合同和 OOI 之间的关系，但它们对关系信任和 OOI 之间的关系没有显示出显着的调节作用。此外，基于结果，作者还开发了一个涵盖四种配置的治理框架——适合、牢固、灵活和脆弱 (4F)。

原创性/价值

本研究中介绍的 4F 治理场景——适合、牢固、灵活和脆弱——强调了在 OOI 关系中结合合同复杂性和关系信任机制的必要性。4F 标签对于从业者如何根据合同和关系治理的配置来管理公司间外包创新关系具有丰富的意义。与大公司相比，该研究还增加了对中小企业特定特征（例如资源不足和灵活性）如何影响其 OOI 决策的理解。