Foreign entry mode choice

There are several ways to enter a foreign market. These entry modes are not mutually exclusive and may change over time. The purpose of this research is to study the process of internationalization of firms operating in a mature industry that is changing from a multidomestic into a global industry. In mature industries successful firms typically use a variety of entry modes, where the entry mode form chosen for a specific country depends on local circumstances at the time of entry. Specific research questions are:
- do particular firms show a preference for certain entry modes over other entry modes?
- if many firms use several entry modes, is a particular country entered primarily through a certain mode?
- is there a link between entry modes used and level of performance?

The idea is to conduct a longitudinal analysis of a single global industry, particularly the global beer industry. The frame of the study will span the period of about 20 years.