Abstract

Creative professional service firms (CPSFs) including architecture, advertising and fashion design firms (Von Nordenflycht, 2010, Hesmondhalgh, 2002, Throsby, 2001) depend on their reputation to signal the quality of their offering and attract business (Lu et al., 2012, Hitt et al., 2006, Cooper et al., 2000, Rose, 1998). The criteria for assessing broad appreciation and social approval of CPSFs, their activities and outputs tends to be culturally and institutionally embedded in the local markets in which they operate (Faulconbridge and Muzio, 2012, Pratt and Jeffcut, 2009). The challenge for CPSFs therefore is to signal the quality of their activities and outputs when internationalising in new markets.