Doctoral thesis

Re-entry in foreign markets: a multi-level analysis of antecedents, mechanisms, and performance : three essays

BP2-STS

  • Fribourg [Switzerland], 2026

1 ressource en ligne (xi, 176 pages) ; 1 fichier pdf

PhD: Université de Fribourg (Suisse), 08.06.2026

English While international business research extensively covers initial market entries and exits, foreign market re-entry—firms returning to a host country after a previous exit—remains fragmented and theoretically under-integrated. This dissertation addresses this gap by investigating the drivers, mechanisms, and consequences of re-entry through three complementary studies.

Methodology
Study 1: Analyzes a longitudinal dataset of 140 re-entry cases from 25,000+ newspaper articles to develop a change-based taxonomy of drivers.
Study 2: Applies behavioral theory to six qualitative cases of global fast-food chains to uncover learning mechanisms and cognitive biases.
Study 3: Uses the Resource-Based View (RBV) to examine 26 automotive industry cases, linking re-entry strategies with long-term performance.

Key Findings
Re-entry is a path-dependent process shaped by organizational memory and institutional shifts, rather than a simple "second first entry."

Drivers: Triggered by five change categories: strategy, finances, market attractiveness, regulation, and business models.

Behavioral Constraints: Past experience is "potential energy" requiring active updates; unaddressed overconfidence can cause repeated failures.

Outcomes: Success relies on learning quality and resource reconfiguration. The thesis proposes a fourfold typology of re-entry trajectories, from learning-driven improvers to quasi-novo entrants.

Contributions
This research integrates behavioral theory and the RBV into a cohesive international business framework. It provides managers with a strategic model to evaluate timing, partner selection, and resource commitment when re-entering markets.
Faculty
Faculté des sciences économiques et sociales et du management
Language
  • English
Classification
Economics
Notes
  • Bibliographie
License
CC BY
Open access status
diamond
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/336380
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