Trečiosios šalies logistikos paslaugų subkontraktavimas sandorio kaštų teorijos požiūriu

Transaction costs economics (TCE) is one of the dominant theories of the firm. Coase pointed out that there are additional costs to ordinary production costs.They are the costs of using the market mechanism. These include the costs of negotiating contracts for exchange transaction and the costs of specifying the details of contract. The costs of negotiating and concluding contract may be reduced by moving transactions from markets to the inside of the firm. Otherwise there are no reasons for a firm to exist. The question of internal and external transactions is closely related to the organisational boundaries issue which has big importance for the third part logistics concept. From the TCE point of view logistics outsourcing processes are determined by the allocation of transactions inside or outside the firm. According to the TCE theory then the transactions are internalised, the cost is less than it is in an open market (external supplier). TCE paradigm was substantially enlarged by the works of Williamson. Williamson has developed the theoretical framework of governance structures: market, hierarchy (vertical integration) and “hybrids” (franchise, alliances). According to Williamson, the pattern of governance depends on three main factors: bounded rationality, opportunism and asset specificity. Other factors are uncertainty and frequency of transactions. The combination of these factors determines the pattern of governance. Hierarchy is the most efficient in case of great uncertainty, high transaction frequency and high asset specificity, but for low transaction frequency and uncertainty market mechanism is the most appropriated. Williamson introduces the term “fundamental transformation” which means the change from an ex ante situation with many alternatives to ex post situation with no alternatives for contractual party. Fundamental transformation and information incompleteness (bounded cognitivity) may lead the actors to an opportunistic behaviour. Williamson develops the system of “safeguards” in order to protect from opportunistic behaviour: the contract parties have to enter into legal or relationship credible commitments. TCE is a method to understand under which conditions organisation internal activities may turn into outsourcing processes in an open market. It is the choice between market and hierarchy. Transaction costs method allows firm to compare the relative advantages of in-house production with market contractual relations. From the transaction costs view the third part logistics (TPL) can reduce the transaction costs. TPL tends to the reduction of the number of logistics providers and relations are based on the long-term co-operation contracts. On the other hand a close co-operation involves the risk of an opportunistic behaviour. According to the TCE, it is necessary to establish “safeguards” in TPL agreements.