Internationalization, Technology and Services

This book examines the way in which the increasing internationalization of services, including the operation of multinationals in this sector, interacts with the process of innovation in services. The book challenges the theoretical traditions that have developed around the analysis of service innovation and internationalization, and argues for a new research agenda. The distinguished contributors address many of the most pertinent issues and adopt a variety of theoretical and empirical approaches to enrich the debates. In contrast to most other books on this topic, this volume pays particular attention to services that are knowledge or technology intensive. It elucidates the process of internationalization of such services (through trade and FDI) and stresses the important role it plays in the globalization of production, distribution and innovation. The book also highlights the significant implications service internationalization can have for the competitiveness of firms, regions and countries. The authors thoroughly evaluate trade and investment statistics in order to identify different modes of internationalization and the substantial cross-national differences that this reveals. They move on to examine the organizational structure of multinationals, the new international division of labour and the factors which can influence the location decisions of knowledge-intensive services. Using extensive survey data from a variety of different countries, they accurately identify the trends, characteristics and drivers which have acted as a catalyst for the increasing internationalization of knowledge-intensive services, as well as the obstacles which can hinder this process. Adopting a truly global perspective, this significant new volume will be of considerable interest to students, scholars and policymakers in the fields of international business, innovation and management.