Yes / Purpose – The management of reputation and status is central to creative professional service firms (CPSFs)
rendering the internationalisation process a particular challenge. We build on arguments that internationalisation
requires moving from outsidership to insidership within client networks and focus on how CPSFs build signals
about quality to start this process.
Design/methodology/approach – The exploration draws from the international business, professional services
and organizational status bodies of literature. A multiple case study design is developed comprising ten Irish
architecture firms. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted.
Findings - The findings clarify how relationships start in the internationalisation process through signal building.
This allows firms to join client networks moving from outsidership to insidership. Our findings systemise three
different approaches for CPSFs: from outsidership to insidership within a local market network, within a global
industry network and within a global project network.
Research Limitations/Implications – Research within other sectoral and geographical contexts could support
transferability of the findings.
Practical implications – The study has implications for CPSF’s international business strategies as it identifies
multiple paths to gaining network insidership and the tactics employed to achieve this.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/16283 |
| Date | 2018 May 1923 |
| Creators | McQuillan, Deirdre, Scott, P.S., Mangematin, V. |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article, Accepted manuscript |
| Rights | © 2018 Emerald. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
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