European sponsor survey

Abstract

The suitability and effectiveness of using survey data as a prime information source was confirmed by Scandura and Williams (2000), who analyzed academic publications in the three top-tier journals “Academy of Management Journal”, “Administrative Science Quarterly” and “Journal of Management”. They observed that over 58% of successfully published organizational behavior research employs such a quantitative approach and that over 85% of studies are cross-sectional instead of longitudinal. The approach of this survey follows this rationale and is limited to one point in time, at which different groups/samples are compared. Given the high offshoring dynamics, longitudinal data is not likely to yield significant findings as managers neither have long-term experience, nor would they be able to report patterns between time points. The test also focuses exclusively on the private, non-governmental sector with a senior executive respondent group. Scandura and Williams (2000) advocate such a sample structure by indicating that effective researchers in the past increased private sector sample types⁴⁸ and concentrated on managerial subjects⁴⁹ in search for external validity enhancements. With a survey research strategy, a cross-sectional method, private sector sampling and senior management orientation, internal and external validity are expedited according to their definitions (Cook and Campbell, 1976; McGrath, 1982; Scandura and Williams, 2000). Over the course of the research process, different information sources are combined with own data and support triangulation efforts: database facts, survey responses and qualitative case records.

37.9% published non-governmental, private sector samples studies-1987; 54.3%-1997.

21.4% published articles on managerial subjects until 1987; increase to 23.3% in 1995–97.