* p < .05; two-tailed test. ** p < .01; two-tailed test.

This article develops a new conceptual model of knowledge flows within international service firms. Our model takes explicit account of the critical role of relationships and the individual as being central to the process of knowledge transfer for service firms. The model is then validated with data collected from five international service firms using critical event analysis techniques. The findings reinforce our contention that the individual plays a critical role in the process of knowledge transfer and that relationships form an integral part of this process. The implications of this finding are also discussed.

This is a repository copy of Advancing the entrepreneurial orientation construct: the role of passion and perseverance.

and Key Results • The service sector is becoming increasingly important in the global economy; this is especially true for 'soft' services involved in providing information and knowledgebased solutions. It has been suggested that soft service firms are restricted to internationalising through market entry modes requiring substantial resource commitment, such as wholly owned subsidiaries and equity based joint ventures. We argue that this assessment is based on overly simplistic assumptions regarding the characteristics of these information-intensive soft service firms. • Focusing on the nature of the value-adding activities and operations of these firms, an information transformation model is proposed to describe the value creation process for information-intensive soft service firms. • Using the model to represent different types of internationalisation situations yields 10 lower-involvement approaches available to information-intensive soft service firms seeking to enter foreign markets.

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