THE EFFECT OF LEARNING ON THE MAKE/BUY DECISION
通过将学习效应纳入组件生产与集成过程，构建了基于工程的外包模型，解释了外包决策可能导致长期成本上升的路径依赖陷阱，并发现最优外包比例与技术变化率呈凸曲线关系。
By including the effects of learning over time on both the production of components and their integration into complete products, we develop an engineering‐based model of outsourcing. This model provides an alternative explanation for much of what other outsourcing theories predict, as well as making several new predictions. In particular, we show that outsourcing decisions can create a path‐dependent outsourcing trap in which a firm experiences higher long‐run costs after an immediate cost benefit. We also describe conditions under which outsourcing a small fraction of component production may dominate either complete insourcing or complete outsourcing. Finally, we show that, with discounting, there is a convex, curvilinear relationship between the optimal outsourcing fraction and the rate of technological change.