Abstract
This article employs one case study, of Intercontinental Hotel Corporation, to
examine the globalisation of the hotel industry between 1946 and 1968. The
results show that the advent of multinational hotel development was characterised
by the importance of government policies in shaping multinational
expansion, whose trajectory was also closely related to the growth of the airline
industry, underpinned by consumer demand change. This historical analysis
illuminates capabilities specific to a firm as well as the entry mode and locations
selected for international expansion as important factors in driving financial
performance. Finally, this study contributes to the international business and
business history literature by exploring international business development in the
context of a small sample size and longitudinal approach.
examine the globalisation of the hotel industry between 1946 and 1968. The
results show that the advent of multinational hotel development was characterised
by the importance of government policies in shaping multinational
expansion, whose trajectory was also closely related to the growth of the airline
industry, underpinned by consumer demand change. This historical analysis
illuminates capabilities specific to a firm as well as the entry mode and locations
selected for international expansion as important factors in driving financial
performance. Finally, this study contributes to the international business and
business history literature by exploring international business development in the
context of a small sample size and longitudinal approach.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 201-226 |
| Journal | Business History |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- internationalisation theory; Intercontinental Corporation; separable and non-separable services; hybrid entry mode
- multinational hotels