An empirical examination of factors influencing the internationalization of service firms Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The internationalization of service firms is expanding dramatically, fueled by recent technological innovations and reductions of trade barriers. Drawing upon Dunnings eclectic theory, firm and locationspecific factors which have been found to be antecedents of internationalization of manufacturing firms are extended to determine their applicability to the internationalization of service firms. The hypotheses are empirically examined through a survey of 228 businesstobusiness service firms. Findings indicate that the firmspecific factor of firm size and the locationspecific factor of market characteristics influence management attitudes toward operating internationally, which in turn influence the degree of internationalization of service firms. Practical implications, drawn from the results, are offered for managers of service firms who are facing the task of internationalizing.

published proceedings

  • Journal of Services Marketing

author list (cited authors)

  • Javalgi, R. G., Griffith, D. A., & White, D. S.

citation count

  • 146

complete list of authors

  • Javalgi, Rajshekhar G||Griffith, David A||White, D Steven

publication date

  • April 2003