Managers’ intention to participate in logistics outsourcing project groups: the influence of personal characteristics

Abstract

ABSTRACT Logistics outsourcing requires cross-functional project groups made up of motivated and committed managers. Consequently, the intention to participate in such groups is of central importance. This article examines whether a manager’s intention to participate in logistics outsourcing is determined by elementary personal characteristics such as work experience, gender, function, position and familiarity with outsourcing or whether more complex models are required. For this purpose, the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) is used as a behavioural framework. A survey of 201 managers in Germany was conducted in an attempt to verify the research question. Data analysis is based on dummy regression. The results confirm managers’ attitudes, the perception of social pressure and the perception of behavioural control as the three drivers of the intention to participate, whereas elementary personal characteristics exert no direct influence on the strength and the direction of managers’ intentions.