Labour, Performance and Outsourcing Processes: The Evolution of the Phenomenon in the Banking Sector

Journal title QUADERNI DI ECONOMIA DEL LAVORO
Author/s Azio Barani
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2022/116
Language Italian Pages 14 P. 255-268 File size 54 KB
DOI 10.3280/QUA2022-116011
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Over the last two decades, outsourcing in the European banking sector has undergone a profound structural transformation driven by technological innovation, competitive pressures, and regulatory evolution. Banking work has progressively shifted from operational tasks to governance-oriented functions involving the supervision and coordination of external providers, thereby reshaping organizational dynamics and performance measurement systems. This article develops an integrated theoretical framework grounded in economic, organizational, and institutional perspectives, examining the evolution of outsourcing practices and the role of EU regulation (EBA Guidelines 2019; DORA 2022) in shaping standards of resilience, operational continuity, and internal accountability. The first three sections provide: (1) a reconstruction of the academic debate and research aims; (2) a systematic theoretical framework linking transaction costs, core competencies, organizational knowledge and risk governance; and (3) a historical and comparative analysis of outsourcing trajectories in European banking. The contribution lays the foundations for a critical interpretation of the emerging paradigm of the “extended banking firm”, highlighting implications for labour, risk management, and performance assessment.

Keywords: banking outsourcing; governance; EU regulation; digital labour; operational resilience.

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Azio Barani, Lavoro, prestazione e processi di esternalizzazione: l’evoluzione del fenomeno nel settore bancario in "QUADERNI DI ECONOMIA DEL LAVORO" 116/2022, pp 255-268, DOI: 10.3280/QUA2022-116011