Outsourcing Using Operations Research and Management Science Methods: From Theory to Practice

This book provides relevant theoretical frameworks and presents the latest empirical findings on outsourcing in Management Science (MS) and Operations Research (OR). It was written for professionals who want to improve their understanding of the strategic role of outsourcing at various levels of the information and knowledge organization, that is, outsourcing at the global economic level, at the network and organization level, at the team and work group level, at the information system level and, finally, outsourcing at the level of individuals as players in the networked environments. The contributors present original research or case studies, showcasing how outsourcing has been effectively applied in both practical situations and theoretical models. The chapters start with a basic concept and discuss the benefits, advantages and disadvantages, current cases, applications, theory, and outlook. The content spans a broad range of topics, drawing examples from both the private and public sector. Future applications, trends, and the potential future of outsourcing are also discussed.

This book is intended for professionals in the fields of energy, engineering, information science, mathematics, economics, etc., and for researchers who wish to develop new outsourcing skills, or who employ outsourcing as part of their work. As the first of a two-volume series, it focuses on bridging theory with practical applications.

Fausto Pedro Garcia Marquez is a Full Professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Spain, Visiting Professor in Shenyang Technology University, China, and a Lecturer at the Postgraduate European Institute. He has been the principal investigator in five European projects, six national projects, and more than 150 university and corporate research projects. He holds six international and national patents, and has authored more than 300 international papers. The author or editor of more than 55 books, his work has been recognized with several international awards.

Benjamin Lev is the past University Trustee Professor at LeBow College of Business, Drexel University, USA. He holds a PhD in Operations Research from Case Western Reserve University, USA. Prior to joining Drexel University, he held academic and administrative positions at Temple University, the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA. He is the Editor-in-Chief of OMEGA – The International Journal of Management Science, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management. He has published more than fifteen books and over 150 articles in refereed journals, and organized several national and international conferences.

Huchang Liao is a Research Fellow at the Sichuan University, China. He has published 4 monographs, and more than 320 peer-reviewed papers, many in high-quality international journals. His publications have been cited over 16,000 times, and his h-index is 71. He has been a Highly Cited Researcher in Computer Science, and a Highly Cited Chinese Researchers in Management Science. He ranked within the top 2% Ranking of Scientists in the World by Stanford University. He has been elected to be the Fellow of IET, the Fellow of BCS, the Fellow of RSA, and the Fellow of IAAM. He is the Area Editor of International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making, Associate Editor, Guest Editor or Editorial Board Member for many top-tier international journals, including IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, Information Fusion, Applied Soft Computing, Omega, etc.