Abstract
International diversification is a growth strategy that has a major potential impact on firm performance. The relationship between international diversification and firm performance has been extensively studied in the international strategy literature. A major gap in the literature has been the non-existence of studies that have examined the effect of international diversification on performance in service firms. Previous studies that have tested the international diversification-performance relationship were based on samples of manufacturing firms. We argue that the form of the relationship between multi-nationality and performance is different in service firms. We provide a theoretical argument for this claim and hypothesize that there is a U-shaped curvilinear relationship between multinationality and performance in service firms. Our sample consists of 81 major German service firms, spanning across four industries. Results show that there is support for a U-shaped curvilinear relationship. Based on the findings, implications and directions for future research are provided.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 345-355 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of International Business Studies |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2003 Jul |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- International diversification
- Multinationality
- Performance
- Service
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business and International Management
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Economics and Econometrics
- Strategy and Management
- Management of Technology and Innovation