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, therehas been little scientific research on the differences in single- versus multi-sourcing constellations. Furthermore, linearextension of single-sourcing to multi-sourcing is limited, despite the fact that companies utilize multi-sourcing morefrequently in recent times. This empirical research aims to increase the understanding of differences in single- versus multisourcingconstellations based on the relevance of IT supplier selection criteria for application development and maintenanceas 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 ITsupplier selection criteria in single- versus multi-sourcing constellations. The study reveals that criteria related to supplierriskare more relevant in single-sourcing, while criteria related to price are dominant in multi-sourcing constellations.