Market entry methods for western firms in China
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
ISSN: 1355-5855
Article publication date: 18 December 2003
Abstract
The UK continues to be one of Europe’s leading investors in China. Many companies have chosen the international joint venture (IJV) option as their market entry method. However, in 2000, the growth of wholly foreignowned enterprises (WFOEs) exceeded that of JVs for the first time. Could it be that IJVs are on their way out as amarket entry method for British firms in China? This article reports on a qualitative study of business relationships between British and Chinese firms designed to examine the comparative advantages and disadvantages of IJVs and WFOEs. Case study companies came from a variety of industries and varied in terms of company size. The evidence from the case studies suggests that the preference for an IJV or a WFOE as amarket entry method depends on a number of key factors including company size, experience in China, type of industry, and conditions in the macro‐environment.
Keywords
Citation
Wilson, J. and Brennan, R. (2003), "Market entry methods for western firms in China", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 3-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/13555850310765015
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited