SHARED SERVICE CENTERS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE: LITERATURE REVIEW

Multinational firms frequently include shared service centers (SSCs) in their business strategy. With the expansion of SSCs, scholars have become more interested in this subject. This study intends to comprehensively assess the extremely dispersed literature on SSCs in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The basic methodology used is a meta-analysis of pertinent literature sources. According to the findings, Poland is the nation that has attracted the highest interest in SSCs, with Central Europe receiving more attention than Eastern Europe. It is common to study Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia collectively, with Estonia receiving the greatest attention. Romania and Bulgaria continue to be seen as the countries with the lowest labor costs in the region. The analysis of the relevant literature shows that researchers systematically examine the motives of foreign businesses to establish SSCs in CEE and frequently concentrate on their operations in human resources management. In their publications, they employ a range of methods, including both qualitative and quantitative ones. To examine the relationships between the selected variables, this study predominantly uses correlation analysis among the quantitative techniques and the case study research method among qualitative ones. The limitation of our research lies in various terminological differences (e.g., RPA, BPO, outsourcing) frequently associated with SSCs. However, this first systematic attempt may serve as a basis for future research and decision-makers in business and politics.