Modes of foreign entry for professional service firms in multi-partner projects

Choice of foreign entry modes is especially crucial for professional service firms because extensive knowledge-sharing with partners and clients is necessary. This is particularly pertinent for firms involved in multi-partner projects. The objective of this paper is to review the literature from this specific viewpoint and to develop propositions which may provide possible courses of action for future research. The article argues that high control entry modes will be preferred when the amount of tacit knowledge shared is high, when the service is customized and involves co-production, when external uncertainty is high, when projects are of a more temporary nature, and when partners are unfamiliar and/or large in number.