international business review International Business Review 17 (2008) 267–284 Entry mode research: Past and future Anne Canabal a,Ã , George O. White III b a Maine Business School, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5723, USA b School of Management, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI 48502, USA Received 12 December 2006; received in revised form 18 May 2007, 5 November 2007; accepted 9 January 2008 Abstract What has been done in the entry mode literature to date and where should future research in this field proceed? To answer this question, we review empirical studies in international entry mode research between the years 1980 and 2006. We identify key publication outlets and articles, leading researchers, major theoretical and methodological approaches, sample characteristics, and primary variables of interest that exist in the entry mode literature. We also highlight gaps in the literature and provide guidance for future research efforts. While entry mode research has advanced significantly over the past few decades, numerous questions remain unexplained. For example, our review suggests that researchers should begin to concentrate on the other side of the equation, that is, what happens once entry mode choice has been made. This provides fertile ground for continued development in entry mode research. r 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Future research; International entry mode; Review 1. Introduction International entry modes (entry modes) represent the third most researched field in international management, behind foreign direct investment and internationalization (Werner, 2002). Despite extensive interest by scholars, practitioners, and public policy makers, only a few studies provide a review of entry mode research. These include Andersen’s (1997) article reviewing theories and conceptual frameworks; Sarkar and Cavusgil’s (1996) review of common themes and trends in entry mode research; Harzing’s (2003) national culture and entry mode review; Zhao, Luo, and Suh’s (2004) meta-analysis of transaction cost economics and ownership based entry mode choice; and Tihanyi, Griffith, and Russell’s (2005) meta-analysis on the effects of cultural distance on entry mode choice, international diversification, and multinational enterprise (MNE) performance. Although these articles have provided valuable insight into what has been researched in the entry mode literature, they are limited in scope to examining only conceptual frameworks or specific theories and their measures. Brouthers and Hennart (2007) recently reviewed the state of the field, addressed weaknesses and deficiencies, and provided suggestions on how researchers can add to current entry mode choice knowledge. ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/ibusrev 0969-5931/$ - see front matter r 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ibusrev.2008.01.003 Ã Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 915 329 9943; fax: +1 207 581 1956. E-mail addresses: anne.canabal@gmail.com (A. Canabal), gwhiteiii@hotmail.com (G.O. White III).