{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2049924310","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2753/mis0742-1222260404","title":"Multitask Agency, Modular Architecture, and Task Disaggregation in SaaS","display_name":"Multitask Agency, Modular Architecture, and Task Disaggregation in SaaS","publication_year":2010,"publication_date":"2010-04-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2049924310","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2753/mis0742-1222260404","mag":"2049924310"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.2753/mis0742-1222260404","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.2753/mis0742-1222260404","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S9954729","display_name":"Journal of Management Information Systems","issn_l":"0742-1222","issn":["0742-1222","1557-928X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320547","host_organization_name":"Taylor & Francis","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320547"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Taylor & Francis"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Journal of Management Information Systems","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5077777059","display_name":"Anjana Susarla","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7482-1213"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I201448701","display_name":"University of Washington","ror":"https://ror.org/00cvxb145","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I201448701"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Anjana Susarla","raw_affiliation_strings":["a Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle","Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"a Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I201448701"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I201448701"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5010983410","display_name":"Anitesh Barua","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2718-1038"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I86519309","display_name":"The University of Texas at Austin","ror":"https://ror.org/00hj54h04","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I86519309"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Anitesh Barua","raw_affiliation_strings":["b Department of Information Systems, Risk and Operations Management at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin","Department of Information Systems, Risk and Operations Management at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"b Department of Information Systems, Risk and Operations Management at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I86519309"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Information Systems, Risk and Operations Management at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I86519309"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5041944945","display_name":"Andrew B. Whinston","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8580-4088"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I86519309","display_name":"The University of Texas at Austin","ror":"https://ror.org/00hj54h04","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I86519309"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Andrew B. Whinston","raw_affiliation_strings":["c McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin","McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"c McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I86519309"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I86519309"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":14.5271,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":86,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.99047619,"is_in_top_1_percent":true,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":90,"max":100},"biblio":{"volume":"26","issue":"4","first_page":"87","last_page":"118"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11912","display_name":"Outsourcing and Supply Chain Management","score":0.9919000267982483,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1404","display_name":"Management Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11912","display_name":"Outsourcing and Supply Chain Management","score":0.9919000267982483,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1404","display_name":"Management Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13402","display_name":"Business Strategy and Innovation","score":0.9897000193595886,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1408","display_name":"Strategy and Management"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11182","display_name":"Auction Theory and Applications","score":0.9861999750137329,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1803","display_name":"Management Science and Operations Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/18","display_name":"Decision Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/service-provider","display_name":"Service provider","score":0.725129246711731},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-as-a-service","display_name":"Software as a service","score":0.6391173005104065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/incentive","display_name":"Incentive","score":0.5549816489219666},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.538192093372345},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/knowledge-management","display_name":"Knowledge management","score":0.48704245686531067},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/modularity","display_name":"Modularity (biology)","score":0.4783760607242584},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/service","display_name":"Service (business)","score":0.4494549334049225},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/agency","display_name":"Agency (philosophy)","score":0.44508808851242065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/analytics","display_name":"Analytics","score":0.439238965511322},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/process-management","display_name":"Process management","score":0.38143759965896606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/business","display_name":"Business","score":0.3586561679840088},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/marketing","display_name":"Marketing","score":0.2063976526260376},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/data-science","display_name":"Data science","score":0.18443164229393005},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software","display_name":"Software","score":0.18410149216651917},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/microeconomics","display_name":"Microeconomics","score":0.15710198879241943},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-development","display_name":"Software development","score":0.1516285240650177},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/economics","display_name":"Economics","score":0.1019611656665802}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C116537","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2169973","display_name":"Service provider","level":3,"score":0.725129246711731},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C175133352","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1254596","display_name":"Software as a service","level":4,"score":0.6391173005104065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C29122968","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1414816","display_name":"Incentive","level":2,"score":0.5549816489219666},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.538192093372345},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56739046","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192060","display_name":"Knowledge management","level":1,"score":0.48704245686531067},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779478453","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6889748","display_name":"Modularity (biology)","level":2,"score":0.4783760607242584},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780378061","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25351891","display_name":"Service (business)","level":2,"score":0.4494549334049225},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108170787","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3951828","display_name":"Agency (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.44508808851242065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C79158427","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q485396","display_name":"Analytics","level":2,"score":0.439238965511322},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C195094911","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14167904","display_name":"Process management","level":1,"score":0.38143759965896606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144133560","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4830453","display_name":"Business","level":0,"score":0.3586561679840088},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162853370","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39809","display_name":"Marketing","level":1,"score":0.2063976526260376},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2522767166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2374463","display_name":"Data science","level":1,"score":0.18443164229393005},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.18410149216651917},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C175444787","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39072","display_name":"Microeconomics","level":1,"score":0.15710198879241943},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C529173508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q638608","display_name":"Software development","level":3,"score":0.1516285240650177},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.1019611656665802},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138885662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5891","display_name":"Philosophy","level":0,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C54355233","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7162","display_name":"Genetics","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86803240","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q420","display_name":"Biology","level":0,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.2753/mis0742-1222260404","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.2753/mis0742-1222260404","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S9954729","display_name":"Journal of Management Information Systems","issn_l":"0742-1222","issn":["0742-1222","1557-928X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320547","host_organization_name":"Taylor & Francis","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320547"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Taylor & Francis"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Journal of Management Information Systems","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/9","display_name":"Industry, innovation and infrastructure","score":0.6200000047683716}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":74,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W10259981","https://openalex.org/W170417797","https://openalex.org/W1498872969","https://openalex.org/W1530407286","https://openalex.org/W1540343830","https://openalex.org/W1545622404","https://openalex.org/W1583872806","https://openalex.org/W1588586093","https://openalex.org/W1588942736","https://openalex.org/W1603931750","https://openalex.org/W1684540946","https://openalex.org/W1727507497","https://openalex.org/W1967614935","https://openalex.org/W1968615215","https://openalex.org/W1970116348","https://openalex.org/W1977263121","https://openalex.org/W1989535774","https://openalex.org/W1991001023","https://openalex.org/W2016326513","https://openalex.org/W2028230650","https://openalex.org/W2028565278","https://openalex.org/W2030799799","https://openalex.org/W2036435886","https://openalex.org/W2040760684","https://openalex.org/W2061144130","https://openalex.org/W2061234822","https://openalex.org/W2063698478","https://openalex.org/W2068119329","https://openalex.org/W2070167064","https://openalex.org/W2084328880","https://openalex.org/W2094902704","https://openalex.org/W2095561982","https://openalex.org/W2097763228","https://openalex.org/W2099290966","https://openalex.org/W2102645730","https://openalex.org/W2117044887","https://openalex.org/W2120523603","https://openalex.org/W2123731236","https://openalex.org/W2123747546","https://openalex.org/W2124768828","https://openalex.org/W2129707623","https://openalex.org/W2131873985","https://openalex.org/W2132081716","https://openalex.org/W2135518249","https://openalex.org/W2139921829","https://openalex.org/W2148273052","https://openalex.org/W2149269350","https://openalex.org/W2149902237","https://openalex.org/W2151388372","https://openalex.org/W2162739626","https://openalex.org/W2163843340","https://openalex.org/W2168745915","https://openalex.org/W2170775290","https://openalex.org/W2324309783","https://openalex.org/W2566856888","https://openalex.org/W2751464407","https://openalex.org/W2938359646","https://openalex.org/W3121173166","https://openalex.org/W3122796034","https://openalex.org/W3123362894","https://openalex.org/W3123386210","https://openalex.org/W3124528066","https://openalex.org/W3124571410","https://openalex.org/W3124719057","https://openalex.org/W3125518467","https://openalex.org/W4232722314","https://openalex.org/W4237647575","https://openalex.org/W4238392382","https://openalex.org/W4285719527","https://openalex.org/W4300528079","https://openalex.org/W6631759981","https://openalex.org/W6634955611","https://openalex.org/W6635224564","https://openalex.org/W6637672056"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W1908240097","https://openalex.org/W4352978945","https://openalex.org/W2381108769","https://openalex.org/W1965240571","https://openalex.org/W657131891","https://openalex.org/W3149563739","https://openalex.org/W2355269570","https://openalex.org/W1982040355","https://openalex.org/W4237868789","https://openalex.org/W3016634043"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"We":[0,26],"examine":[1],"contract":[2,101],"choices":[3,102],"in":[4,42,64,82,154,167,202,216],"the":[5,39,75,86,106,111,114,155,158,162,187,196,229],"provision":[6],"of":[7,38,47,58,60,77,108,117,123,128,157,164,189,199,231],"\"software-as-a-service\"":[8],"(SaaS),":[9],"which":[10],"is":[11,45],"a":[12,22,65,126],"business":[13,90,138,223],"innovation":[14],"that":[15,36,46,92,134,207],"transforms":[16],"information":[17,200],"technology":[18],"(IT)":[19],"resources":[20],"into":[21],"continuously":[23],"provided":[24],"service.":[25],"draw":[27],"upon":[28],"agency":[29,67],"theory":[30,33],"and":[31,52,97,113,146,186,210],"modularity":[32,107],"to":[34,95,219],"propose":[35],"one":[37],"central":[40],"challenges":[41],"service":[43,159,184],"disaggregation":[44],"knowledge":[48,142],"interdependencies":[49,143],"across":[50,144],"client":[51,112],"provider":[53,160],"organizations.":[54],"The":[55],"resulting":[56],"lack":[57],"verifiability":[59],"certain":[61],"tasks":[62,88],"results":[63,171],"multitask":[66],"problem.":[68],"Our":[69,170],"key":[70],"research":[71],"questions":[72],"involve":[73,89],"(1)":[74],"suitability":[76],"high-":[78],"versus":[79],"low-powered":[80],"incentives":[81,148,166,212],"SaaS":[83,124],"contracts":[84],"when":[85,135],"outsourced":[87,192],"analytics":[91,139],"are":[93,103,172],"difficult":[94],"verify,":[96],"(2)":[98],"how":[99],"such":[100,168],"affected":[104],"by":[105,141,193,228],"interfaces":[109,156],"between":[110,183],"provider.":[115],"Analysis":[116],"data":[118],"collected":[119],"from":[120,180],"154":[121],"providers":[122,185,218],"offering":[125],"range":[127],"IT":[129,190],"services":[130,191],"supports":[131],"our":[132],"contention":[133],"contracting":[136],"for":[137,176],"characterized":[140],"clients":[145],"providers,":[147],"should":[149],"be":[150,214],"\"low":[151],"powered.\"":[152],"Modularity":[153],"increases":[161],"desirability":[163],"high-powered":[165,211],"situations.":[169],"robust":[173],"after":[174],"accounting":[175],"endogeneity":[177],"issues":[178],"arising":[179],"unobserved":[181],"matching":[182],"nature":[188],"clients.":[194],"With":[195],"increasing":[197],"importance":[198],"systems":[201],"services,":[203],"this":[204],"paper":[205],"suggests":[206],"arm's-length":[208],"relationships":[209],"may":[213],"ineffective":[215],"incentivizing":[217],"perform":[220],"on":[221],"complex":[222],"analytic":[224],"tasks,":[225],"unless":[226],"accompanied":[227],"modularization":[230],"interfaces.":[232]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":4},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2018,"cited_by_count":5},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":5},{"year":2016,"cited_by_count":9},{"year":2015,"cited_by_count":5},{"year":2014,"cited_by_count":12},{"year":2013,"cited_by_count":13},{"year":2012,"cited_by_count":11}],"updated_date":"2026-07-29T09:40:50.615796","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}