Reshoring and insourcing: drivers and future research directions

TLDR

Reshoring and insourcing decisions are widely discussed in the popular press, but academic coverage remains limited. The study aims to explore the drivers of reshoring and insourcing beyond anecdotal evidence and to outline a research agenda for assessing their impact on supply‑chain structures. A theoretical framework grounded in transaction‑cost economics and organizational boundary theory is developed, supported by practical examples from business press coverage. The analysis yields seven implications for future research.

Abstract

Reshoring/insourcing decisions have been widely discussed in the popular press, yet coverage of these topics in the academic literature is limited. The purpose of this research is twofold. First, it seeks to explore the underlying drivers of reshoring and insourcing decisions to move beyond anecdotal evidence to theory-based analysis. Second, it seeks to provide an agenda for future research to further analyze the impact of reshoring and insourcing decisions on supply chain structures. Through an in-depth examination of the literature and grounded in TCE and OBB, a theoretical framework of reshoring and insourcing decisions is developed and supported by practical examples from business press coverage. The ensuing analysis of the framework yields seven future research implications.