I've seen management push for outsourcing simply on the basis of having worked with a particular company/group before when there was no need/sense. It's about knowing the trade offs and making the right decision for the company as a whole not due to personal preference.

And many companies used to make outsourcing decisions based off of simple head count cost and didn't factor in the extra time/hours/delays due to integration/poor work/other factors.

Is that a joke?