Mwanza Gabriel2025-08-132025-08-132009https://hdl.handle.net/10566/20709Information Technology (IT) outsourcing as a basis for competitive advantage in the current dynamic business and technological environment is a potentially viable business solution for many Chief Executive Officers (CEO's) and Chief Information Officers (CIO's). It has become the focus of many organisations. In the Transnet Corporation the decision to outsource the IT function has been taken by the Group and some operating divisions without taking into consideration certain key factors. Transnet previously has contracted large scaled outsourcing deals which is often a bigger and more lasting change involving the way in which the organisation need to be structured, focused and managed This study investigates the factors that should be taken into consideration before making such far-reaching decisions. The critical decision to be made is: when is Information Technology function best performed in-house, and when should the function be outsourced. This study investigates how these outsourcing decisions could impact on the in-house IT function; in particular it examines how such strategies could affect several IT dimensions, such as, strategic alignment, innovation, capability, organisation structure and vendor management.enSOCIAL SCIENCES::Statistics, computer and systems science::Informatics, computer and systems science::Information technologyInformation technology outsourcingIn-house IT functionStrategic alignmentExternal vendorThesis