A case study method was used to investigate the regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs) and to develop an inductive model based on their international expansion processes. The model consists of three phases, with two abrupt turning points during the companies' first 8 years of international expansion. The turning points are the result of deliberate top management interventions that provided forward thrust from one phase to the next. Those interventions highlight the role of strategic choice, which had been lacking in previous international expansion models. Given the prominent role of strategic choice, the authors link the international expansion model to the strategy-making process literature and address the larger issue of how new strategic directions are formed within organizations facing industry deregulation.
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