Investment and Control Decisions in Foreign Markets: Evidence from Service Industries
研究了服务业企业进入国外市场时，如何分两步做决策：先根据国家因素选投入程度，再根据企业因素选控制程度，并分析了资本密集度和定制化程度的影响。
We empirically investigate the entry mode choice in the service sector. In contrast to current models, we propose a model for choice of entry mode that breaks down the decision into two levels of analysis: first, at the more macro level, the choice of the degree of commitment is influenced mainly by country‐related variables; second, at the more micro level, the choice of the degree of control is addressed by firm‐related variables. Based on a sample of 328 foreign market entries, our study contributes to the literature of entry mode in two ways: first, by showing the explanatory capacity of the hierarchical model in the analysis of entry mode choice in the service sector; and second, through identifying and analysing the moderating role of two important contingencies in this decision – capital intensity and degree of customization. Moreover, the study advances our knowledge of some of the particularities in the internationalization of service firms.