Factors influencing sustainable outsourcing relationship: An empirical investigation into the Indian coal mining industry

Developing a sustainable client–provider relationship in an outsourcing arrangement is important. This study attempts to identify the effects of unexplored antecedents of opportunism in an outsourcing engagement and, subsequently, the significance of opportunism in relation to a sustainable relationship. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach has been deployed for the empirical evaluation of the hypothesised relationships between the constructs using responses obtained from the executives of the Indian coal mining organisation (ICMO). Results portray the significance of each antecedent, i.e., measurement problem, qualification of service provider, and service provider lock-in in view of undesirable outcomes in an outsourcing relationship.