Strategic Outsourcing for Sustainable Competitive Advantages: Case studies of Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) in China Mingu Kang Ph.D. Student ,School of Management, Zhejiang University, P.R. China
[email protected] Xiaobo Wu Professor of Management, Vice Dean, School of Management, Director, National Institute for Innovation Management, Zhejiang University, P.R. China
[email protected] Paul Hong Professor, Information Operations and Technology Management, College of Business Administration, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA Abstract Increasingly, with rapid wealth growth of emerging global economies, the basis of competitive advantage is changing from internal capacities to network capabilities. What matters is not a company ownership of hard assets but rather its ability to fully utilize them to capture the worldwide business opportunities. In this highly competitive global environment, outsourcing is approached not as a functional value extension but strategic priority practice for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. This paper presents a research model that describes strategic outsourcing practices for sustainable competitive advantages in Chinese context. Case studies include global firms from Switzerland, Korea and USA that have been operating in China for more than seven years successfully. This paper discusses how each firm maintains clear and disciplined strategic focus in achieving desired business outcomes. Case studies of these firms in China may provide better understanding on how to implement successful outsourcing practices in the Chinese market. Key Words: Strategic Outsourcing; Emerging Global Economies; Sustainable Competitive Advantages; Case Studies of MNCs in China 1. Introduction With rapid growth of economics over the past two decades, China has significant size of middle and upper class of consumers affording huge domestic market.