Internationalization into the GCC: Singapore in Retrospect

• Main Authors: YEOH, Caroline, HOW, Wilfred Pow Ngee, CHONG, Hong Hao
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2012
• Subjects: Primary research methods; internationalization theory; Middle East; Singapore; entry mode/entry strategy; adaptation to local contexts; Asian Studies; International Business
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/3271; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/4270/viewcontent/EBES___Singapore_In_Retrospect__How__Yeoh___Chong_.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

As internationalization becomes, increasingly, the chosen method of (ironically) competing for competitiveness among firms, new and rich frontiers for business come into ever-expanding demand. Among the foremost of these frontiers, the countries of the GCC represent both fertile ground and uncharted waters for internationalizing firms, with cultures as rich as their markets and sometimes byzantine yet fascinating socio-political forces presenting a plethora of challenges to erstwhile investing firms. As a culmination of our research into this region over past years, then, we examine in this paper, as a case study of sorts, the experiences of Singapore firms in the various countries of the GCC, extrapolate the lessons that can be derived thereof, and contemplate the implications for international businesses looking to expand into the Middle East.