Task equivocality and process modularity in R&D offshore collaboration projects

Abstract

Task equivocality could be a key impediment in offshore collaboration projects. Process modularity, or the extent to which offshore collaboration tasks can be decoupled and re-sequenced with little loss of functionality in offshore collaboration, could help lower task equivocality. Process modularity could be further complemented by knowledge conversion cycles and offshoring collaboration competence to further lower task equivocality. We use data from 86 offshore research and development collaboration projects between two strategic business units of a large European firm and their partner firms in India. The results show that process modularity was not associated with task equivocality. However, with increasing process modularity, higher levels of knowledge conversion cycles or offshore collaboration competence were negatively associated with task equivocality. These preliminary findings extend our knowledge of task equivocality in the context of offshore collaboration projects.