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PurposeRecent studies are trying to adapt the explanation of the internationalisation process to new environmental conditions. This paper aims to offer evidence of the existence of a group of firms that use a speeded‐up internationalisation process.Design/methodology/approachCluster analysis and logit regressions are used on a sample of 271 Spanish export firms.FindingsThe results obtained support the claim that substantial differences do exist between fast and gradual internationalising firms. The firms included in the more international active group are characterised by: a proactive attitude on the part of managers with regard to internationalisation activities, a strategy based on marketing differentiation advantages and strong relationships with clients and suppliers, which encourage or facilitate their international activities.Practical implicationsThe results may favour reflection upon what are the most important factors for achieving an active, international strategy and how to respond to these demands. The stimulation of relationships between firms will reduce the uncertainty associated with the risks of foreign operations and increase the international competitiveness of firms.Originality/valueFrom a politics perspective the research suggests several ways to stimulate the acceleration of the internationalisation process.

This work investigates how a firm's international strategy affects choice of entry mode in the service sector. The inherent complexity associated with studying a heterogeneous sector such as services requires researchers to investigate variables that go beyond those drawn from traditional empirical work on the manufacturing sector. The adoption of a broader theoretical perspective and the introduction of these new variables may well provide further evidence of the determinants of service firms’ entry mode choices. On the basis of 174 entry decisions of service firms, this study's results support the necessity of including additional strategic variables that specifically address this complex phenomenon, a decision that is not always associated just with efficiency and value-based considerations but with strategic issues as well. In addition, some variables that are routinely used in studies of the manufacturing sector were not significant or exhibited different results in different groups of service activities.