The globalization of business has created increased opportunities for the export of a wide range of services. However to date, no study has examined the attitudes, motives and characteristics that propel some service firms to embark on an internationalization path. This study of three hundred and fifty Australian service enterprises examines perceptions and attitudes towards exporting. A theoretical model was developed based on the Resourced Based View, the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Stages of Internationalization approach, and then empirically tested. Based on a logistic regression model, perceptions of the benefits of exporting were found to significantly differentiate exporters from nonexporters, however surprisingly, not so risk perceptions. Exporters were also distinguished by higher R&D intensity and characteristics of key marketing personnel. The major obstacles to internationalization were barriers such as commitment and preparedness to invest in entry costs, lack of international marketing expertise and foreign contacts, and degree of competitive intensity in international markets.
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