The internationalisation process of Spanish banks: a tale of two times

Abstract

Attempts to shed light on strategies and international entry modes of financial services firms, providing a framework of the internationalisation process in one specific industry. This is based upon the analysis of four case studies of Spanish banks entering the Latin American markets at two different stages – before and after the 1990s – to see how internationalisation strategies of financial services have evolved over time. Shows that, in accordance with the perceived market risk and the commitment of resources involved, firms may opt to enter a foreign market in a gradual (lineal) process or in a more opportunistic (contingent) way. The foreign direct investment decision vis‐à‐vis the resources and risks involved in the operation has been evolving through time, industry and country of destination.