ABSTRACT
I explain how I learned of the first two of the 20 in-house outsourcing (inO) cases in this study. In an outsourcing of work section I describe: the traditional outsourcing of business services, the transfer of ownership and control over the work to the vendor, economic and technology causes for inO, the benefits and results companies seek from it, what is known about the size of outsourcing industries and the people it affects, and the fissuring in jobs from outsourcing. The research questions and contributions of this study are discussed including increased understanding of: markets and the social basis of transaction costs, invisible social relations in the workplace, and the effects of nonstandard employment. The mechanics of this qualitative research study are described including the use of purposive sampling, the subjects, and the cases of inO. An overview of the chapters is provided.
