Services represent the dominant economic sector, in terms of employment, for most developed economies, and many emerging ones as well (World Bank, 2014). Historically, service offerings have primarily been focused on domestic markets; however, technological advancements and reductions in trade barriers have encouraged the internationalization of service firms. Although increasingly critical to global business, the internationalization of services remains under-researched, with academic work lagging far behind practice.

Despite the importance of services to the global economy, there is a great deal that we need to learn about the cross-border activities of this sector. The four articles in this special issue of International Marketing Review, representing a mix of theoretical and empirical perspectives, provide unique insights and new perspectives on the internationalization of service firms.