Title: Strategic decision-making in international business: the case of the internationalisation decision

Authors: Marwan N. Al Qur'an

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, College of Industrial Management, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, KFUPM P.O. Box 841, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: This study examines the strategic decision-making in international business relating to the internationalisation and foreign market entry decisions. More specifically, the study looks at the initiation stage and drivers of the internationalisation decision as well as the important location decision factors involved in the foreign market entry decision. One in-depth and information-rich case study of the Arabian premium international manufacturing firms was purposively undertaken. The results show that both firm and location-specific factors, firm|s competitive advantage, company|s management attitudes and profit growth were the main drivers of internationalisation. Further, the study reveals that the predevelopment of world region, country, city, and site qualitative and quantitative location factors was elemental to attain profitable foreign market choice. Accordingly, these findings have significant theoretical and practical implications to the internationalisation and foreign market entry decisions of international firms.

Keywords: strategic decision making; SDM; internationalisation; case study; foreign market entry.

DOI: 10.1504/JIBED.2009.033743

Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 2009 Vol.4 No.4, pp.302 - 313

Published online: 29 Jun 2010 *

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