A Multidisciplinary Framework for International Service Activities

While various fields have studied international services, a unified understanding of the services and their characteristics is missing. We identify the major challenges in international service characterization and proceed to develop an integrative conceptual framework. The 4C framework include four interconnected components of international service characteristics, i.e., connectivity of service actors to the environment, the configuration of service activities within organizational set-ups, collaborative interaction between service actors, and created value of the services. We contribute to international service literature with a unified conceptual framework to guide international service research across the fields of international business, economic geography, and service management.