Purpose

The article explores how servitization influences firms' foreign market entry mode decisions. This relationship is researched under the contingent effect of macroenvironmental factors in the host country, namely, market attractiveness, institutional environment and national culture differences between the home and host country.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a conceptual framework typology that interrelates, contextualizes and conceptualizes extant knowledge to develop explicit propositions.

Findings

Based on the extant literature, using a 2 × 2 matrix, the authors delineate the influence of two dimensions of servitization on entry mode decisions: customer relationship focus and digitalization focus. They conceptualize that relationship management and digitalization-based servitization have an antagonistic effect on the need for entry mode resource commitments, and macroenvironmental factors' favorability moderates this tension.

Research limitations/implications

The study extends and incorporates the servitization literature into the context of international marketing by exploring the combined effect of the two most significant dimensions of servitization, i.e. investment in customer relations versus investment in digitalization on entry mode, thus delivering valuable new insights and perspectives, as well as explicit propositions toward empirical testing.

Practical implications

The authors’ framework increases foreign market managers' awareness of how servitization drives entry mode decisions of firms in international markets. Also, the framework explicates how the host country's market attractiveness, institutional environment and difference with the home country's national culture tangibly influence the relationship.

Originality/value

The study provides novel insights into the implications of servitization on international marketing, particularly regarding foreign market entry mode. The study also elucidates the combined effect of two servitization dimensions, i.e. customer relations and digitalization – a critical research area in which the literature is scant.

中文翻译：

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不同宏观环境条件下服务化的国外市场进入模式：分类与命题

目的

本文探讨了服务化如何影响公司的国外市场进入模式决策。这种关系是在东道国宏观环境因素的偶然效应下研究的，即市场吸引力、制度环境和本国与东道国之间的民族文化差异。

设计/方法/方法

该研究采用概念框架类型学，将现有知识相互关联、语境化和概念化，以发展明确的命题。

发现

基于现有文献，使用 2 × 2 矩阵，作者描述了服务化的两个维度对进入模式决策的影响：客户关系焦点和数字化焦点。他们认为，关系管理和基于数字化的服务化对进入模式资源承诺的需求具有拮抗作用，而宏观环境因素的有利性缓和了这种紧张关系。

研究限制/影响

该研究通过探索服务化的两个最重要维度（即对客户关系的投资与对数字化的投资对进入模式的投资）的综合影响，将服务化文献扩展并整合到国际营销的背景下，从而提供了有价值的新见解和观点，如以及对经验测试的明确命题。

实际影响

作者的框架提高了外国市场经理对服务化如何推动公司在国际市场上的进入模式决策的认识。此外，该框架还解释了东道国的市场吸引力、制度环境以及与本国民族文化的差异如何切实影响这种关系。

原创性/价值

该研究为服务化对国际营销的影响提供了新的见解，特别是在国外市场进入模式方面。该研究还阐明了两个服务化维度的综合影响，即客户关系和数字化——这是一个文献很少的关键研究领域。