International Management in Service Firms: Environments, Strategies and Operations

This textbook examines how service firms manage their international operations. For the first time, it brings together insights from the fragmented literature on this subject into an accessible textbook. Further, it is unique in its focus on service firms’ internationalization and international management.

Beginning with an overview of the international environment in which service firms operate, it subsequently describes multinational service firms and their internationalization processes, strategies and organization. Unlike most texts on international services, the book goes beyond internationalization to address the ongoing management of service firms. It not only addresses functions such as global service marketing, financial management and human resource management, but also discusses aspects such as global account management, global service delivery and international project management, as well as the topical issue of managing distributed virtual teams. A dedicated chapter focuses on offshore shared services and business process outsourcing. These chapters are complemented by a discussion on international corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.

The book is intended for students preparing for international careers in the service sector. Each chapter includes case studies, illustrations, highlighted definitions, a chapter summary and exercises.

Dr. Dirk Klimkeit is a Professor of Management, Organization and International Management at the Center of Service Management Studies, Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) Stuttgart, Germany. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany. At DHBW Stuttgart, Dr. Klimkeit developed an elective module on International Services Management, which he currently teaches. Before joining DHBW, he spent 16 years in international management positions at various service firms, chiefly at a Big Four professional service firm. His research focuses on professional service firms, international management, service excellence, shared services and Global Business Services.

Dr. Pengji Wang is an Associate Professor of Business at James Cook University, Singapore. She holds a Ph.D. in Strategy and Policy from the National University of Singapore. Her research focuses on international business, circular economy, sustainable marketing and corporate social responsibility. She has taught courses on international management, marketing and general management since 2010.

Dr. Huiping Zhang is an Associate Professor of Business at James Cook University, Singapore. She holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the National University of Singapore. Before joining JCUS, she worked as an Assistant and subsequently Associate Professor of Finance at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Her research interests include empirical asset pricing and the international financial market. Her work has been published in leading academic journals such as Journal of Finance Economics, Journal of Empirical Finance, Financial Review, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, and International Review of Finance.