Operational Outsourcing Practices and Organizational Performance of Telecommunication Companies in Rwanda: A Case of Airtel Rwanda Plc

Authors

  • Crepin Kirori Mount Kenya University, Kigali, Rwanda
  • Dr. Alice Kituyi Kwake Mount Kenya University, Kigali, Rwanda

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2151

Abstract

This study assessed effect of operational outsourcing practices on organizational performance in telecommunication companies in Rwanda with reference to a case of Airtel Rwanda Plc. The specific objectives are to determine effect of primary activities outsourcing, accounting and finance activities, back-office outsourcing on organizational performance of Airtel Rwanda Plc. The study adopted Resource-Based Theory, Transaction Cost Economic Models. The researcher employed descriptive research design and correlational research design to establish effect size for specific research objectives. The researcher drew a sample of 167 from 287 individuals using Yamane formula. The study used both simple random sampling and purpose sampling to choose respondents. The researcher collected information using questionnaire, interview guide and desk review from organizational reports. The researcher employed a descriptive and statistics for quantitative data analysis while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Findings on outsourcing primary activities indicate strategic management at a mean of 4.333, service development at a mean of 3.666, and operational services at a mean of 4.000 were outsourced as primary activities. For strategic management, there was a positive insignificant relationship between strategic management and cost efficiency (=0.049, p=0.41), strategic management and profitability(r=0.074, p-value=0.233). A significant relationship was between cost leadership and sales (r=0.231**, p value=0.006), rising investment (r=0.159**, p-value=0.043), with net profit (r=0.174**=0.014). Results on outsourcing accounting and finance demonstrated a mean of 3.33, human resources with a mean of 4.400, data resources with a mean of 4.00 were adopted by Airtel Rwanda Plc. There are significant correlations found between finance and accounting and cost efficiency (r=0.215, p-value=0.048), accounting and profitability (r=0.512, p-value=0.036). Human resources were insignificantly associated with cost efficiency. There is a significant correlation found between information resources and cost efficiency (-0.523*, p-value=0.031). Results found that outsourcing security activities (mean of 3.833). Outsourcing manpower activities (mean of 3.333), outsourcing cleaning activities (mean of 2.833) were adopted. Significant correlations were established outsourcing security activities and cost efficiency (r=.167*, p=.078), outsourcing security activities and productivity (r=0.393, p-value=0.000), profitability (r=0.560*, p-value=0.056). Outsourcing manpower activities was negatively associated with cost efficiency) r=.050*, p=.078), and productivity (r=-159*, p=.093). The researcher recommended the need to rely on primary activities, and to revise its policies. The firm should adopt back-office activities outsourcing to increase flexibility and reduce weaknesses, which can be an appropriate outsourcing activities.

Keywords: Accounting and Finance Outsourcing, Back Office Outsourcing, Operational Outsourcing, Organizational Performance.

Author Biographies

Crepin Kirori , Mount Kenya University, Kigali, Rwanda

School of Business and Economics, Mount Kenya University, Kigali, Rwanda

Dr. Alice Kituyi Kwake, Mount Kenya University, Kigali, Rwanda

School of Business and Economics, Mount Kenya University, Kigali, Rwanda

References

Adu- Gyamfi, L. (2015). Evaluating the impact of outsourcing on organizational profitability. Worldwide journal of multidisciplinary research and development, 1 (3), 2339.

Akinbola, O. A. (2012). Effects of Outsourcing Strategies on the Organizational Performance of Fast Foods Industry in Lagos State

Amponsah and Loukis, (2012). Outsourcing and firm performance: A comparative study of Swiss and Greek firms. Industrial and corporate change Journal.

Awino, Z. B., & Mutua, J. M. (2014). Business process outsourcing strategy and performance of Kenyan state corporations. Journal of emerging trends in economics and management sciences, 5(7), 37-43.

Basle, Brown, and Wilson, (2015). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage, Journal of Management, (1), 99-120.

Bertrand, O. (2011). What goes around, comes around: Effects of offshore outsourcing on the export performance of firms. Journal of International Business Studies, 42(2), 343-344..

Bosire, R. M., Nyaoga, R. B., Ombati, T. O., & Kongere, T. O. (2013). The Impact of Outsourcing on Lead-Time and Customer Service in Supermarkets in Nairobi-Kenya. European Journal of Business and Management, ISSN, 2222-1905.

Brookes and Haines, (2015) How a Firm’s Capabilities Affect Boundary Decisions, Sloan Management Review, 40(4), 99-120.

Bryman, A. & Bell, E. (2011). Business Research Methods. 3rd edition. UK: Oxford University Press.

Çiçek, I., & Özer, B. (2011). The effect of outsourcing human resource on organizational performance: the role of organizational culture. International journal of business and management studies, 3(2), 131-144.

David, M. & Sutton, C.D. (2011). Social Research: An Introduction. 2nd edition. UK: TJ International Plc.

Delaney et al, (2006) Outsourcing, competitive capabilities and performance an empirical study in service firms, International Journal of Production Economics, 126, 276–288.

Elmuti, D., Julian, G., & Dereje, A. (2010). Consequences of outsourcing strategies on employee quality of work life, attitudes, and performance. Journal of Business Strategies, 27 (2).

Foster, James, and Ventus, (2015). A business process outsourcing framework based on business process management and knowledge management. Business Process Management Journal, 15(6), 845-864.

Gewald, Dibbern, Gottfredson, Puryear, and Phillips, (2015). Strategic sourcing: From periphery to the core. Harvard Business Review (February), 132–139.

Gewald, H. (2010). The perceived benefits of business process outsourcing: An empirical study of the German banking industry. Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal, 3(2), 89-105.

Hirscheim, Heinzel, and Dibben, and Handfield, (2012). Stages of Global Sourcing Evolution: An Exploratory Study, Journal of Operations Management, 16, 241– 255.

Isaksson, A., & Lantz, B. (2015). Outsourcing strategies and their impact on financial performance in small manufacturing firms in Sweden. The International Journal of Business and Finance Research,9(4), 11-20.

Jean, R. B., Sinkovics, R. R., & Cavusgil, S. T. (2010). Enhancing international customer-supplier relationships through IT resources: A study of Taiwanese electronics suppliers. Journal of International Business Studies, 41(7), 1218-1239.

Jiang, Frazier, and Prater, (2009), Outsourcing Effects on Firms’ Operational Performance. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 26(12), 1280 1300.

Kakumanu, Portanova, and Kulmala, (2003). Outsourcing a satisfied and committed workforce: a trucking industry case study. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 15(1), 147-162.

Kedia, Lahiri and Ellram, (2009). Offshore outsourcing of professional services: a transaction cost economics perspective, Journal of Operations Management, 26(2), 148-63.

Khaki, and Rashidi, (2012). Outsourcing and its impact on operational objectives and performance: a study of Iranian Telecommunication Industries. Management Science Letters, 2, 235-244.

Kiplangat, Khaki, Rasidi, Sarpin, and Weideman, (2012). Outsourcing in Health Care: The Administrator's Guide, AHA Press, Chicago, IL.

Kolawole, I.O. and Agha, E.A. (2015). Achieving organizational performance through business process outsourcing. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 11(4)

Letica, M., (2016). The effect of outsourcing activities selection on the benefits of outsourcing. Management: journal of contemporary management issues, 21(2), pp. 77-97

Luvison, D., & Bendixen, M. (2010). The behavioral consequences of outsourcing: looking through the lens of paradox. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, 15(4), 28.

Marchegiani, L., Pirolo, L., Peruffo, E., & Giustiniano, L. (2010). National corporate systems and outsourcing decisions: A cross-country analysis. Strategic Management Society Conference, Rome, Italy, September 11-15, 2010.

Mclaughlin, and Sheng, (2014). Outsourcing of logistics functions: a literature survey, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 28 2, 9-10.

Murua, Mahnke, McIvor, and Lamming, (2010). Influences and outcomes of outsourcing: Insights from the telecommunications industry. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 13(4), 245-260.

Nicholas, (2012) Relating porter's business strategies to environment and structure: Analysis and performance implications. Academy of Management Journal,), 280–308.

Odnokonnaya, M. (2017). Logistics Outsourcing: Current state of the market of outsourcing logistics services.

Okongo, (2012) A practical framework for understanding the outsourcing process. Supply Chain Management: An international Journal, 5(1), 22-36.

Razzaque, Sheng, Rothery, and Robertson, (2012). The truth about outsourcing. Hampshire, UK: Gower Publishing Limited.

Reitzig, M., & Wagner, S. (2010). The hidden costs of outsourcing: Evidence from patent data. Strategic Management Journal, 31(11), 1183-1201.

Shields, J., & Brown, M. (2015). 6 Reviewing and developing employee performance. Managing Employee Performance and Reward: Concepts, Practices, Strategies, 140.

Shih, H.A. and Chiang, Y.H. (2011). Exploring the effectiveness of outsourcing recruiting and training activities, and the prospector strategy's moderating effect. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(01), pp.163-180.

Susomrith, P., & Brown, A. (2013). Motivations for HR outsourcing in Australia. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(4), 704-720.

Venkatraman, and Servati, (2011). Outsourcing: A public-private sector comparison. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 8 (4), 355–366.

Wanjugu, (2016). Transaction-cost economics: the governance of contractual relations”, The Journal of Law and Economics, 22(3), 233-261.

Yu, Y., & Lindsay, V. (2011). Operational effects and firms' responses: Perspectives of New Zealand apparel firms on international outsourcing. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 2(3), 306-323.

Zachary, Romney, and Steinbart (2014). Accounting Information Systems, (10th) edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Downloads

Published

2023-06-16

How to Cite

Kirori, C., & Kwake, A. K. (2023). Operational Outsourcing Practices and Organizational Performance of Telecommunication Companies in Rwanda: A Case of Airtel Rwanda Plc . Journal of Entrepreneurship & Project Management, 7(5), 61–76. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2151

Issue

Section

Articles