Foreign Market Entry: Production-Related Strategies

This paper examines the profit to a firm of different production-related strategies for entering a foreign market. The entry strategies examined are foreign direct investment, exclusive licensing, multiple licensing, joint venture, and a combination of joint venture and licensing. It is shown that even though the entering firm is able to charge the optimal licensing fee, foreign direct investment generates the highest profit and is thus the dominant entry strategy in many contexts. This paper also suggests counter-strategies for responding to government restrictions on firms' entry.