TY - JOUR

T1 - Internationalization of Professional Service Firms as Learning – A Constructivist Approach

AU - Reihlen, Markus

AU - Apel, Birgit Alexandra

N1 - Currently published as: Journal of Service Management

PY - 2007/5/1

Y1 - 2007/5/1

N2 - Purpose – Internationalization process research has conceptualized the cross-border move of firms as a process of learning. Yet, little attempts have been made to develop a constructivist learning theory of the internationalizing firm. The aim of this paper is to apply a contemporary learning theoretical framework to analyze the internationalization of professional service firms.Design/methodology/approach – A constructivist theory of learning is applied.Findings – The paper explains learning during the internationalization process of professional service firms as a process of social interaction with the socio-cultural environment. The paper outlines specific individual and social mechanisms through which firms acquire new knowledge when moving across borders and embed themselves into a new socio-cultural market domain.Research limitations/implications – The argument is theoretical in nature and has particular implications for future empirical research, which may investigate the specific social learning mechanisms of the internationalizing firm in particular professional service industries and cultural settings.Originality/value – The application of a constructivist theory of learning to the internationalization of professional service firms is unique until now to the research field.

AB - Purpose – Internationalization process research has conceptualized the cross-border move of firms as a process of learning. Yet, little attempts have been made to develop a constructivist learning theory of the internationalizing firm. The aim of this paper is to apply a contemporary learning theoretical framework to analyze the internationalization of professional service firms.Design/methodology/approach – A constructivist theory of learning is applied.Findings – The paper explains learning during the internationalization process of professional service firms as a process of social interaction with the socio-cultural environment. The paper outlines specific individual and social mechanisms through which firms acquire new knowledge when moving across borders and embed themselves into a new socio-cultural market domain.Research limitations/implications – The argument is theoretical in nature and has particular implications for future empirical research, which may investigate the specific social learning mechanisms of the internationalizing firm in particular professional service industries and cultural settings.Originality/value – The application of a constructivist theory of learning to the internationalization of professional service firms is unique until now to the research field.

KW - Management studies

KW - Globalization

KW - Learning

KW - Professional services

KW - Social interaction

KW - Globalization

KW - Learning

KW - Professional services

KW - Social interaction

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/7db87765-5c4e-3b87-baff-0b6567e10c71/

U2 - 10.1108/09564230710737790

DO - 10.1108/09564230710737790

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 18

SP - 140

EP - 151

JO - International Journal of Service Industry Management

JF - International Journal of Service Industry Management

SN - 0956-4233

IS - 2

ER -