This paper reports on the results of a three year project examining the processes of internationalisation in two sectors: commercial vehicles and international hotel chains. Through case studies of leading firms it explores a relatively neglected feature of debate: the comparative analysis of manufacturing and services. It focuses on some of the distinct characteristics of internationalisation and corporate integration that have traditionally been argued to distinguish between the two, examining in particular the factors and mechanisms of integration and the consequences in terms of degrees of standardisation. In addition to reporting on the substantive processes of change in commercial vehicles and international hotels, the paper concludes by arguing, contrary to established wisdom, that in some respects internationalisation of services may be more straightforward than manufacturing. The latter is likely to have a more complex set of technical and social filters through which the “product” is assembled and be more embedded in its local environment.
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