The Establishment of social IT sourcing organizations: An Impression Management Perspective

In this paper, we use qualitative methods to explore how social information technology (IT) sourcing organizations balance the paradoxical orientations of commerce and social upliftment. We apply the theory of organizational impression management to explore how such organizations meet the demands imposed by multiple audiences. The results of our study suggests that in managing the duality of the orientations, organizations segregate, align with and convey different images to audiences using impression management strategies. We found that the social IT sourcing organizations in our study strategically disclosed information to convey the images of competency and legitimacy to clients and potential investors. Additionally, these organizations ensured their policies and practices were congruent with the prevalent social and cultural norms. Drawing on our empirical findings, we develop a process model that illuminates the crucial role of impression management strategies in the establishment of social IT sourcing organizations.