Outsourcing, Knowledge, and Learning: A Critical Review

This paper aims to review research that determines the influence of outsourcing on knowledge management and learning, a process which will help identify new research opportunities and contribute to the further development of outsourcing theory. The study consists of a review of 34 refereed articles on outsourcing in relation to knowledge management and learning. The findings were summarised in a number of hypotheses and two conceptual models which highlight the contribution of outsourcing to either competitive advantage or disadvantage. This study may not have enabled a complete coverage of all peer reviewed articles in the field of outsourcing in relation to learning and knowledge management. Yet, it seems reasonable to assume that the review process covered a large share of studies available. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no literature review on this topic has previously been published in academic journals.