Prof. Sundeep Sahay, University of Oslo: The ontology of space and place in global software outsourcing arrangements: a dialectical perspective

In this talk, I will propose a process oriented dialectical based approach to understand the nature of Global Software Outsourcing (GSO) arrangements. Drawing upon the notion of a "dialectic", I apply the principles of totality, change and contradiction to develop this theoretical perspective. I define the conceptual domain of analysis as the social geography of GSO arrangements. Within this conceptual domain I propose the concepts of space and place as root metaphors which serve as fundamental distinctions to understand GSO arrangements. I develop the ideas of the ontology of space and place in this context and the manner in which various social processes play out in a dialectical manner at various stages of the GSO relationship. I illustrate the theoretical perspective with a case example. Finally, I discuss some implications of our theoretical perspective to understand GSO arrangements.

Välkommna
John Cumberbatch