Competence Based IT Outsourcing - An Evaluation of Models for Identifying and Analyzing Core Competences

In an effort to re-focus on their core competences, an increasing number of companies outsource parts of their IT services. In this context, based on Hamel and Prahalad’s definition of core competences, numerous theoretical models for identifying and analyzing core competences were developed. However, at present, due to the high complexity of outsourcing decisions, it is not clear which theoretical models can support decision-makers and to what extent these models can make a contribution. To address these questions, theoretical models for identifying and analyzing core competences, suitable for supporting IT outsourcing decisions in general, are identified, and systematically classified within a framework. Based on the developed classification, one model of each model category is evaluated on the basis of a list of six criteria.