Purpose The purpose of this qualitative paper is to identify and amplify the voice of those experts who advise practitioners faced with foreign market entry decisions. This paper reports the importance that experts place on the rule of law, a positive ethical climate in host nations and the experts' knowledge of investment financial performance after five years of the initial foreign market entry. Design/methodology/approach The sample included 12 experienced expert professional interviewees who spent careers with publicly held multinational corporations, attorneys who advised multinational corporation officers, arbitrators with significant international dispute resolution experience, corporate ethics compliance experts, small global entrepreneurial business owners and an academic specializing in international commercial law and dispute resolution. Findings The rule of law and ethical climate significantly influence private market entry mode, dispute resolution choices and the likelihood of financial success. Finally, the findings illuminate the importance of the rule of law and a positive ethical climate in private foreign market entry decisions and their managerial and policy implications. Originality/value This study lays the foundation for the development of propositions to understand better the significant role of the rule of law in the private foreign investment decision-making process and the financial performance of the foreign investment.
