Comparing IT Supplier Selection Criteria in Single- Versus Multi-Sourcing Constellations: An Empirical Study

Although information technology (IT) outsourcing is widely applied by companies and has been intensively researched, there has been little scientific research on the differences in singleversus multi-sourcing constellations. Furthermore, linear extension of single-sourcing to multi-sourcing is limited, despite the fact that companies utilize multi-sourcing more frequently in recent times. This empirical research aims to increase the understanding of differences in singleversus multisourcing constellations based on the relevance of IT supplier selection criteria for application development and maintenance as well as infrastructure services. Based on a literature review, an empirical survey of sourcing professionals was conducted. Combined inferential and descriptive statistical analysis indicates a significant difference of the relevance of various IT supplier selection criteria in singleversus multi-sourcing constellations. The study reveals that criteria related to supplierrisk are more relevant in single-sourcing, while criteria related to price are dominant in multi-sourcing constellations.