Outsourcing maintenance in complex process industries: Managing firm capabilities in lock-in effect

Jane Maley, Christian Kowalkowski, Staffan Brege, Sergio Biggemann

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    12 Citations (Scopus)
    7 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    The aim of the article is to analyze the rational for choice of suppliers and the influence these decisions have on the firm's capabilities. We examine the choice of in-house operations versus buying maintenance in the Swedish mining industry through a qualitative case study approach. The findings reveal a strong tendency to outsource maintenance. This in turn has a strong influence on the firm's capabilities and long-term competitive advantage and long-term sustainability. Based on the empirical findings, we comment on the strength and weaknesses of the different outsourcing and attempt to find practical solutions that assist the firm in creating competitive advantage.
    The unique contribution of this study is that it extends prior firm capabilities studies by investigating the impact of capability loss specifically in complex, intricate maintenance processes in a dynamic industry.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)801-825
    Number of pages25
    JournalAsia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
    Volume27
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Nov 2015

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