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Purpose This paper aims to contribute to international business research by providing an integrative framework of the factors determining the learning process of outsourcing companies in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the literature was performed with an analysis of 84 articles published in peer-reviewed academic journals, published between 2000 and 2020. Findings The results show that the different factors should be seen as complementary and not mutually exclusive. It is the interaction between macro and micro factors that jointly shape the learning of developing country subcontractors. Moreover, the results of the analysis show that many existing studies have not been based on specific theoretical frameworks. Research limitations/implications This study develops a roadmap of the current state of research on the determinants of learning among developing country subcontractors and offers suggestions to guide future research. The authors conclude with a call for methodological advancement and theory development on the topic. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study proposes the first comprehensive review of the literature on the factors determining the learning of subcontractors in developing countries. The authors have tried to provide an integrative analytical framework to discuss what has been known and what needs to be known in this regard.