Toward a Theory of International Services: Marketing Intangibles in a World of Nations

This article defines and describes international services from the marketing perspective. A classification of four types of international services is proposed, and a theoretical model of one of these (contact-based services) is developed. With a rich literature on the nature of services, marketing scholars are in a strong position to make valuable contributions to the ongoing debate concerning international services, which has until now been dominated by international economists and trade statisticians.