RESEARCH ASSOCIATE POSITION Offshoring Research Network Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

Position summary

The Offshoring Research Network (ORN) at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, is seeking to hire a Research Associate for a period of two years, starting Summer/Fall 2009. The Research Associate will be expected to carry out survey-based and/or case study-based research on offshoring, outsourcing and the globalization of services.

ORN multi-year surveys
The international ORN project was initiated in 2004 by the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at the Duke Fuqua School of Business. The ORN project conducts both quantitative, survey-based research and qualitative case studies. It solicits two major annual surveys.

The ORN Corporate Client Survey tracks the adoption of offshoring and outsourcing administrative and technical functions, e.g. IT, finance & accounting, software and product development, by client companies across industries, from pioneering early adopters to the majority adopters. It includes data e.g. on offshoring drivers, risks, location choices, delivery models, performance outcomes and future plans. Unlike other surveys, this survey tracks offshoring and outsourcing activities over time by discrete functional implementation projects. It also includes companies that only consider offshoring and even those that have not considered offshoring yet. In collaboration with research partners worldwide, the ORN survey has been extended year by year. It has been taken by more than 1,500 companies from the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Scandinavia, and Belgium, and it will include companies from Italy, Korea, Australia and other countries.

The ORN Service Provider Survey, which was launched in 2007 for the first time, investigates the service providers’ perspective of offshoring. It covers questions about service profiles, the choice of service location, client contracts and relationships, risks involved with providing services, the recruitment and management of talent, future plans and outsourcing trends, and many other aspects.

ORN case studies
Parallel to the collection and analysis of survey-based data, the ORN project also involves complementary case studies investigating not only companies’ various experiences with offshoring, but also their internal routines, processes and capabilities that differentiate early from late adopters of the new business practice as well as more and less successful offshoring companies. In particular, ORN research is focusing on companies offshoring higher-level, innovation-centered activities and processes. Taking a co-evolutional research perspective, the ORN project also investigates the emergence of new geographical knowledge clusters and institutions guiding offshoring/outsourc ing activities.

In addition to developing knowledge on companies’ offshoring practices, the project seeks to develop theoretical concepts and frameworks partly based on the cases, explaining the emergence, adoption, and diffusion of offshoring practices and underlying capabilities within and across companies, industries, and countries. Audiences of the research results include both business practitioners and academics. Although the candidate’s main focus will be on academic research, he/she will have to maintain a strong orientation towards the business implications of the research findings.

Job requirements
The Research Associate will work in close collaboration with the other members of the international ORN research team and will participate in all aspects of the research projects, including data collection and analysis, and crafting research papers. The candidate will participate in developing practitioners- oriented presentations and in writing Thought Leadership articles for the business community. He or she will also be involved in designing and running selected courses for MBA students and executive MBAs. In addition, he or she is expected to work together with our sponsoring organizations and partners, including PricewaterhouseCoop ers and The Conference Board, in conducting custom research and various other projects. The opportunity to get involved in a wide array of activities will allow the Research Associate to acquire deep contextual knowledge and skills, field expertise and experience and qualify for both academic and consulting-oriented careers.

Qualifications
Ph.D. in Management/Business , Economics, Sociology, Geography or other related disciplines
Expertise and interest in relevant research areas, e.g. sourcing, business process redesign, open innovation, international business, cross-cultural communication, organizational learning, project and network management
Strong skills and proven experience in writing research reports and papers, and in presenting at international conferences
- Proven experience with (1) quantitative survey design and statistical analysis using large databases and/or (2) developing and analyzing case or field studies, preferably theory-guided and/or theory-building
Fluency in English
- Strong interpersonal skills, team spirit, and ability to work in multicultural settings
- Flexible, stress resistant, multi-task person with good time and priority management
- Available to travel worldwide.

How and where to apply

Please send a cover letter describing your interest in the Research Associate position; your CV, including your professional background, skills and publications; and a letter of recommendation by your PhD supervisor and/or other professor(s) you have collaborated with to the following address (either regular mail OR email):

Professor Arie Y. Lewin
Duke University
The Fuqua School of Business
1 Towerview Drive
Durham, NC 27708
USA

Email:
Maly Sibounheuang (Associate Director): maly@duke.edu, ++1 919 660 7836, or
Dr. Stephan Manning (Research Associate): sdm24@duke.edu, ++1 919 660 7887

For further information about this position, please also contact Dr. Stephan Manning.
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