Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Export enterprises'

La presente investigación tiene por objetivo hacer una aportación a la literatura en los campos de negocios y marketing internacionales con el fin de arrojar luz sobre el comportamiento y rendimiento exportador de las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYME), enfocándose en el contexto geográfico Español, uno de los países Europeos caracterizados tanto por su alta densidad de PYMEs como por su alto número de empleados posicionados en estas empresas. El crecimiento económico de España es en gran medida dependiente de los resultados de la actividad exportadora. A pesar de su relevancia, hay una escasez en términos de investigación relacionada al rendimiento exportador de las PYMEs a nivel Español, por lo que se destaca la necesidad de llevar a cabo más estudios en este contexto en particular.
En este sentido, la presente tesis identifica y propone para su posterior análisis los siguientes temas de real importancia para explicar el comportamiento y rendimiento exportador de las PYMEs: 1) El papel de las características y las percepciones del directivo a la hora de determinar la participación y expansión de la actividad exportadora, 2) La influencia de los determinantes internos y externos sobre el rendimiento exportador objetivo y sobre la satisfacción con el resultado exportador; y el potencial impacto de ciertas dimensiones del rendimiento exportador (objetivas) sobre otras dimensiones de rendimiento exportador (subjetivas), 3) Y por último, la influencia del grado de estandardización/adaptación de la estrategia genérica de marketing internacional sobre el rendimiento exportador objetivo y la satisfacción con el resultado exportador, al mismo tiempo que se investigará cómo esta relación está moderada por ciertos determinantes internos y externos.
El marco teórico se basa en varios enfoques: el enfoque gradual del fenómeno de la internacionalización, la teoría de recursos y capacidades aplicada en el contexto internacional, la teoría de redes y el enfoque de contingencia con respecto a la estrategia de marketing internacional. Para la realización de esta tesis se emplearon tanto la metodología cualitativa (Capítulo 1) así como la cuantitativa (Capítulos 2 y 3). Mediante el empleo de la metodología cualitativa, basada en estudios de caso, se logró una profunda comprensión del proceso de internacionalización de las PYMES Españolas. Por consiguiente, se ha desarrollado un cuestionario estructurado con el propósito llevar a cabo el estudio cuantitativo.
Los datos fueron recogidos a través de una encuesta en línea dirigida a los directivos a cargo de la actividad exportadora de las PYMES Españolas. Para el tratamiento empírico de los datos recolectados se empleó tanto el análisis univariante como multivariante, empleando el Paquete Estadístico para las Ciencias Sociales (SPSS) y los Modelos de Ecuaciones Estructurales (SEM) - Análisis de Estructuras de Momento.
Los resultados muestran que, coincidiendo con la teoría de recursos y capacidades, el papel del directivo, en particular su orientación internacional, parece ser crucial para la actividad exportadora de las PYMEs. Sin embargo, la influencia de ciertas características y percepciones de los directivos parece ser más importante según la fase del proceso de internacionalización en la cual se encuentra la empresa o tener un impacto mayor en algunos indicadores relacionados al rendimiento exportador. Los resultados también revelan la existencia de una relación positiva entre el rendimiento exportador objetivo (la intensidad exportadora y el número de mercados y zonas de exportación) y el rendimiento exportador subjetivo (satisfacción del directivo con la posición de exportación, la rentabilidad de la actividad exportadora y el acceso a nuevos mercados), relación que no había sido abordada previamente en la literatura. Por otra parte, los resultados empíricos muestran que el éxito en la actividad exportadora puede lograrse mediante el empleo de una estrategia genérica de marketing internacional más estandarizada o bien una estrategia más localizada. La estandardización y la adaptación no deben considerarse, por sí solos, como estrategias puras, sino que deben entenderse desde la perspectiva de la contingencia la cual sugiere la presencia de un equilibrio entre la estandardización y la adaptación de la estrategia de marketing internacional, cuya interacción daría lugar a mejores resultados de exportación. Este estudio identificó tres variables contingentes tanto internas como externas, más concretamente el tamaño de la empresa, la intensidad tecnológica de la industria y los factores del entorno que moderan la relación establecida entre la estrategia genérica de marketing internacional y el rendimiento exportador, medido de forma objetiva y subjetiva.
En cuanto a las implicaciones para los empresarios, los directivos deben ser conscientes de que actualmente, debido al rápido desarrollo tecnológico junto con la eliminación de numerosas barreras comerciales, la entrada en mercados extranjeros no es tan arriesgada como solía ser en el pasado, mientras que representa una alternativa viable para el crecimiento de la empresa y la búsqueda de mayores beneficios. El papel fundamental en la mejora del rendimiento exportador objetivo está directamente relacionado con el conocimiento de lenguas extranjeras y de negocios internacionales del directivo, junto con el firme compromiso de la empresa con la actividad exportadora. Por lo tanto, los principales esfuerzos deben dirigirse hacia la adquisición de estas habilidades, así como dedicar más recursos a las operaciones de exportación, de forma sistemática y organizada. Por consiguiente, los esfuerzos en términos de política también deben enfocarse a mejorar la orientación internacional de los directivos con el fin de llevar a buen término la formulación y puesta en práctica de estrategias de internacionalización.
Como líneas de investigación futura sería interesante replicar estudios similares en otros contextos geográficos, de esta manera los resultados de esta tesis podrían ser generalizados a distintos entornos. Además, sería aconsejable llevar a cabo un análisis longitudinal, a la vez que se recomienda considerar variables compuestas como, por ejemplo, el grado de orientación internacional del directivo, la estandardización y la adaptación de la estrategia de marketing internacional o el rendimiento exportador. De esta forma, estas variables multidimensionales podrían ser analizadas desde una perspectiva temporal, lo que permitiría llevar a cabo una investigación de relaciones causa-efecto.
The present dissertation aims to contribute to the international business and marketing literature by shedding light on the export behaviour and performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in the Spanish geographical context, which represents one of the European settings characterised by high SMEs density and workforce employed by these enterprises. Spain's economic growth is vastly dependent on the results of the export activity. In spite of their relevance, there is a scarcity of research in the SME export centred literature, within the Spanish context, thus it becomes apparent that more investigations should be carried out in this particular setting.
In this sense, the present study identifies and proposes for further analysis the following topics of increased importance for SMEs' export activity and performance: 1) The role played by managerial characteristics and perceptions in determining export involvement and expansion; 2) The influence the internal and external determinants have on objective export performance and satisfaction with export performance and the potential impact of certain dimensions of export performance on other export performance dimensions; 3) The influence the standardisation/adaptation of the overall international marketing strategy has on objective export performance and satisfaction with export performance, simultaneously investigating how this relationship is moderated by certain internal and external determinants.
Theoretical support is provided by several approaches: the gradualist approach to the internationalisation phenomenon, the Resource Based View (RBV) applied in the international context, the network theory and the contingency approach to the international marketing strategy. Both qualitative (Chapter 1) and quantitative (Chapter 2 and 3) methodologies have been combined for the completion of this dissertation. By employing the qualitative methodology based on in-depth case studies profound understanding of the internationalisation process in Spanish SMEs was gained. Consequently, a structured questionnaire was developed for further carrying out the quantitative study.
Data was collected through an online survey addressed to the decision maker in charge of the export activity in Spanish SMEs. For empirically treating the quantitative data univariate and multivariate analysis with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) - Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) were performed.
The results show that, concurring with the RBV, decision maker's role, particularly his/her international outlook appears to be crucial for SME's export activity. Nevertheless, the influence of certain managerial characteristics and perceptions seems to be more prominent according to the internationalisation stage or to have a stronger impact on some export performance indicators. The findings also reveal the existence of a positive relationship between the objective export performance (export intensity and the number of export markets and zones) and the subjective export performance (managerial satisfaction with export position, export profitability and new market entry), relationship that to the best of our knowledge has not been explored before. Moreover, the empirical results display that successful export performance could be achieved by employing either a more standardised or a more adapted overall level of the international marketing strategy. Standardisation and adaptation should not be considered, in isolation, as pure strategies, but rather should be understood from a contingency perspective which suggests a balance between the standardisation and the adaptation of international marketing strategy would lead to increased export performance. This study identified three internal and external contingent variables, namely the size of the firm, the technological intensity of the industry and the environmental factors, that moderate the relation established between the overall international marketing strategy and export performance, measured both in an objective and a subjective manner.
Regarding the implications for practitioners, decision makers should be aware that, presently, due to rapid technological development along with the removal of various trade barriers, entering overseas markets is not bearing as much risk as it used to in the past, while representing a viable alternative for firm's growth and pursuit of higher profits. The fundamental role in improving objective export performance is played by their own foreign language skills, international business knowledge and firm's commitment to exporting, hence efforts should be directed towards acquiring these abilities as well as devoting resources to the export operations, in a systematic and organised manner. Therefore, policy initiatives should also aim at enhancing the development of decision maker's international outlook with a view to successfully formulating and putting into practice internationalisation strategies.
As future research directions it would be interesting to replicate similar studies in distinct geographical contexts, so the results could be generalised to larger populations. Longitudinal analysis should also be conducted, thus complex constructs such as the degree of international orientation of the decision maker, the standardisation/adaptation of the international marketing strategy or the export performance could be analysed from a time-based perspective, allowing for the investigation of composite cause-effect relationships.

There is consensus that Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) exports play a critical role in the development of economies. It has been widely acknowledged in empirical research done around the world that small businesses make a significant contribution to economic development, employment, competitiveness and the reduction of regional disparities. However, empirical literature gives conflicting evidence on the determinants of export performance among SMEs. The study contributes towards the debate on SME exports by: (i) investigating the variables that determine export performance among SMEs in Zimbabwe (ii) establishing the competi-tiveness of Zimbabwe’s exports and (iii) ascertaining the major constraints faced by SME ex-porters in Zimbabwe The researcher gathered data from 120 SMEs and 10 institutions in Zimbabwe for the period 2009 to 2015. SME samples were chosen from Harare, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East provinces while all 10 of the institutions were chosen from Harare province. Convenient non-probability sampling method was used to select SMEs while stratified sampling technique was applied in the selection of institutions. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed. For the quantitative approach, panel data ordinary least squares method was used in the form of the gravity model of trade. Export intensity (used as a measure of exports) was regressed against support institutions, business ownership, research & development, educational years, use of export processing zones, product type, export years, firm size, firm age, gender, distance from trading partner, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of trading partner, and GDP of Zimbabwe. The random effects estimation method was used, basing on results from the Durbin-Wu-Hausman test. The null hypothesis was based on the premise that the variables under study do not determine export intensity of SMEs in Zimbabwe. Other null hypothesis were that the major constraint faced by SME exporters in Zimbabwe is not access to finance and that Zimbabwe’s exports are not competitive in the mining, agricultural and manufacturing sectors. The revealed comparative advantage index was computed to measure the competitiveness of Zimbabwe’s exports.For the qualitative approach, the study used the triangulation method which involved combining and utilising the questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussions. The results from the study indicated that following variables increased export intensity of Zimbabwean SMEs; business ownership, use of export processing zones, export years, firm size, and GDP of trading partner. The following variables have an inverse relationship with the export intensity of Zimbabwean SMEs: gender, distance from trading partner and research & development. The results also indicated that these further variables do not determine the export intensity of SMEs in Zimbabwe: support institutions, years of education, product type, firm age and GDP of Zimbabwe. The major constraint faced by exporting SMEs in Zimbabwe is limited access to finance. Zimbabwe is competitive in the agricultural and mining sector exports, but not in manufacturing sector exports The policy implication of the findings is that SME support needs to go beyond support institutions when it comes to SME export promotion. Further SMEs in the agriculture and mining sectors need to be promoted for export growth since Zimbabwe is competitive in these sectors. However the manufacturing sector cannot be ignored, since many economies have developed due to exports of manufactured products and a country needs to have balanced export growth in both primary and manufacturing sectors. In order to have motivated, career SME exporters, entrepreneurship education should begin from primary school right up to university so as to improve entrepreneurial aspirations, attitudes and behaviour in the long run.

Cette thèse est présentée comme un recueil de trois articles empiriques. L’objectif général de cette thèse est d’examiner le comportement de l’exportation des entreprises de petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) dans une économie en émergence, la Malaisie. Cette étude se focalise, spécifiquement, sur deux domaines de recherche: déterminants d’exportation et stratégie d’exportation. Le premier et le deuxième article analysent, respectivement, les déterminants internes et externes des décisions d’exportation. Le troisième article examine la stratégie d’exportation dans le contexte de la sélection du marché. Les résultats et les contributions sont discutés dans chaque article.Le premier article examine l’impact des facteurs financiers sur la décision d’exportation. En particulier, nous incorporons les deux majeures dimensions financières clés, le coût et le capital, pour étudier comment la perception du coût, de la capacité du capitale interne et de la contrainte du capital externe détermine le statut de l’exportation de la firme. Nos résultats montrent que les exportateurs perçoivent un coût d’exportation plus bas et sont moins contraints par le capital externe que les non-exportateurs. Cependant, nous découvrons que les exportateurs montrent une capacité du capital interne plus faible que celle des non-exportateurs. Cet article contribue à la littérature tout en intégrant les facteurs ‘push and pull’, pour comprendre l’effet combiné des déterminants financiers sur les décisions d’exportation. Le deuxième article évalue l’efficacité des programmes de promotion des exportations. En particulier, nous examinons le niveau de conscience, la fréquence de l’utilisation et la perception de l’utilité de ces programmes entre non-exportateurs et exportateurs. Nos résultats suggèrent que les exportateurs ont plus de conscience, sont les utilisateurs plus fréquents, et considèrent ces programmes plus utiles que les non-exportateurs. Cependant, les deux groupes montrent plus un haut niveau de conscience, une utilisation plus fréquente et un plus haut niveau de la perception de l’utilité des programmes liés à l’information d’exportation et aux salons/foires commerciaux internationaux sponsorisés que ceux qui sont liés à l’assistance financière tel que le conseil sur le crédit. De plus, l’analyse a également révélé que la fréquence de l'utilisation et la perception de l'utilité pour la plupart des programmes sont positivement liées à l’expérience de l’exportation, mais pas aux chiffres d'affaire de l’exportation. Cette étude nous aide à mieux comprendre l’impact des programmes d’exportation sur l’initiation et l’expansion de l’exportation à travers les différentes étapes de l’exportation dans une économie en émergence. Le troisième article examine la relation entre les stratégies compétitives et la sélection du marché de l'exportation. S'appuyant sur la littérature de l'avantage comparatif pour les exportateurs des pays émergents, et les caractéristiques de la demande sur les marchés d'exportation, nous testons des hypothèses sur la façon dont la domination pas les coûts, la différenciation et les stratégies de cible influencent l’exportation envers les pays développés et en voie de développement. Les stratégies de différenciation montrent les effets opposées à ceux de coût, alors que les stratégies de cible sont associées de manière négative aux exportations des deux types de marché. Cette étude contribue à la littérature en montrant que les stratégies compétitives agissent comme un déterminant, au niveau de la firme, de la sélection du marché des exportations
This dissertation is presented as a collection of three empirical articles. The general aim of this thesis is to examine the export behavior of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in an emerging economy, Malaysia. Specifically, it focuses on two research domains: export determinant and export strategy. The first and second articles study on internal and external determinant of export decisions, respectively. The third article examines on export strategy in the context of market selection. Findings and contributions are discussed individually in each article. The first article examines the impact of financial factors on the export decisions. In particular, we incorporate two core financial dimensions, cost and capital, to investigate how perception of cost, internal capital capability, and external capital constraint determine the export status of a firm. Our findings show that exporters perceive export costs to be lower and are less constrained by external capital than non-exporters. However, we discover that exporters exhibit lower internal capital capability than non-exporters. This study contributes to the literature by integrating both push and pull factors to understand the combined effect of financial determinants on export decisions. The second article evaluates the effectiveness of public export promotion programs. In particular, the level of awareness, the frequency of use, and the perception of the usefulness of these programs between non-exporters and exporters were examined. Our findings suggest that exporters have greater awareness, are more frequent users, and perceive these programs to be more useful than non-exporters. Nonetheless, both groups demonstrate higher level of awareness, are frequent users, and perceived usefulness of programs related to export information and sponsored international trade fairs/shows than those related to financial assistance such as credit consultancy. Further analysis also revealed that the frequency of use and the perception of the usefulness for most programs are positively related to export experience, but not to export turnover. This study offers insights into the impact of export programs in an emerging economy for encouraging export initiation and expansion across export stages. The third article examines the relationship between competitive strategies and export market selection. Drawing on the literature of comparative advantage for exporters from emerging economies, and demand characteristics in export markets, we test hypotheses on how cost leadership, differentiation, and focus strategies influence exports to developed- and developing countries. The results suggest that cost strategies positively influence exports to developed countries but not to developing countries. Differentiation strategies show the opposite effects of cost strategies, while focus strategies are negatively associated with exports to both types of markets. This study contributes to the literature by showing that the competitive strategies act as a firm-level determinant of export market selection

Mestrado em Finanças
O objectivo desta investigação é estudar a intensidade exportadora das Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PME) em Portugal. A relação entre a intensidade exportadora e o desempenho financeiro é analisado em detalhe. A análise empírica é baseada na amostra das PME da indústria transformadora obtida através dos dados contabilísticos do Sistema de Contas Integradas das Empresas (SCIE). São analisados dois modelos de intensidade exportadora das PME, linear e probit, tendo em conta dois tipos de variáveis dependentes: (i) a percentagem das vendas no mercado externo (considerando-se; e (ii) uma variável binária que mede a predominância exportadora (valor 1 para percentagens de vendas externas superiores a 50%). Como variáveis explicativas foram testadas variáveis relacionadas com as características das empresas (por exemplo, dimensão, nível tecnológico, custos salariais) e com o desempenho financeiro (por exemplo, endividamento, autonomia financeira). Os resultados são mistos dependendo do modelo e da amostra estudada, no entanto, no geral, o retorno sobre os activos, a produtividade, o resultado líquido e o rácio da dívida têm uma relação positiva com a intensidade exportadora. A dimensão e o nível tecnológico também têm um impacto positivo. O salário médio por trabalhador tem um efeito negativo na intensidade exportadora, sugerindo uma competitividade internacional baseada nos custos.
The purpose of this investigation is to explain the export intensity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Portugal. The relation between export intensity and financial performance is analyzed in detail. The empirical analysis is based on a sample of SME firms from the manufacturing sector obtained from the firm-level accounting data Sistema de Contas Integradas das Empresas (SCIE). Two models of export intensity of SMEs are analyzed, linear and probit, considering two kinds of dependent variables: (i) the percentage of foreign sales (considering; and (ii) a binary variable that measures the predominance (value 1 for percentages of foreign sales higher than 50%). As explanatory variables are tested variables related to company characteristics (e.g. size, technological level, wage costs) and to financial performance (e.g. debt, financial autonomy). Results are mixed depending on the model or sample studied, however, in general, return on assets, productivity, net result and debt-to-equity ratio have a positive relationship with the export intensity. Size and technological level also impacted positively. Average wage has a negative effect on export intensity, suggesting an international competitiveness based on costs.

Transnational production arrangements have been widely argued to lessen the organising capacities of industrial workers, none more so than in the case of women workers in 'export' or 'world market' factories in developing countries. This thesis contests this assertion by showing that women workers' ability to form enterprise unions in the Philippine garments industry are enhanced by transnational production arrangements involving an overseas market. Specifically, the thesis demonstrates that, in order to meet the quality and delivery requirements of overseas buyers and contractors, local owners and/or production managers are forced to routinely keep more production in-house in order to exert more direct controls over the work processes of their women sewers. By thereby limiting the amount of local subcontracting which is done, women workers are agglomerated in larger numbers in the one place and, consequently, their capacities to engage in collective action - as indicated by the establishment of enterprise unions - is markedly increased. Empirically, the argument of the thesis draws on a 'multiple-case' study of sixty-five garment-making establishments located in and around Manila. The study involved interviews with owners, production managers and/or trade union officials about the local subcontracting practices of their establishments. The conclusions drawn about the links between export production and enhanced labour organising capacities at the enterprise level are corroborated by the 'commodity chain' literature on industrial deepening in the international garments industry and the status of the Philippine industry in this regard. But rather than think simply in terms of industrial deepening, this thesis is concerned with the impacts of exporting on class processes. Theoretically, the thesis thus draws on the Marxist view that capitalist development entails changes in the social form of labour, through the real subsumption of labour. But, whereas Marx linked the real subsumption of labour to greater capitalist controls over the labour process, in this thesis the real subsumption of labour is also tied to concomitant changes in the spatial form of the labour process. From this standpoint, the thesis engages with labour process theory after Braverman (accusing it of often failing to link capitalist control to class processes) and with theories of class (which often ignore the social and spatial form of the labour process). In tying organising capacities of women workers at the enterprise level to changes in social and spatial form of the labour process, it is nevertheless argued that these capacities are also shaped at the national level by the legal framework for legitimate organising and by 'political space' in which the law in fact operates. In this regard, it is argued that, whilst the state often passes laws to protect labour standards, it does not grant workers the means to ensure such standards are actually enforced. The thesis also challenges the view that the recruitment of women is a strategy which employers deliberately use in the Philippine garments industry to limit industrial conflict. Against this assertion of a rational economic basis to women's employment, the thesis argues that women are employed for sewing jobs as a result of the sex-typing of such jobs; but that this is also more an effect than a cause as the feminisation of sewing in the modern garments industry is embedded in class processes in the nineteenth century in Europe and the United States. Gender is a dimension of labour control, but women workers in the garments industry are not employed to limit enterprise unionism.

The thesis deals with the quality of business environment of the Czech Republic, nevertheless, the main goal of the thesis is to evaluate the current system of the export support. Firstly, the opening chapter attempts to define the term business environment theoretically, after that it puts forward the possibilities of quantifying the quality of this indicator and then summarizes its evolution specifically in the Czech Republic. The second chapter is particularly devoted to the system of economic diplomacy in the Czech Republic and concentrates primarily on the support of export as a part of national business support programs. In this context, the thesis analyses in full detail the Export Strategy of the Czech Republic for the period 2012-2020, its updated version of 2016 and also how defined goals are met on an ongoing basis. The final part provides the export survey carried out within small and medium-sized enterprises. This survey evaluates whether the system of the state export support is generally known and used within this segment.

The success of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in industrialised countries has led to the increasing recognition of their role in exports, and in transition economies, this is driven by private-sector-led economic growth. The objective of this thesis is to determine major factors influencing export propensity of Polish SMEs in an expanded European Union (EU). All investigated enterprises are located in the Gdansk province. This study employs the Logit model to explain why some SMEs are exporters (their export propensity) in Poland. The second contribution of this thesis is to find out why some Polish SMEs are non-exporters and will not even engage in future export activities (export aversion). The results of the study indicate that the essential sources of an enterprise's finance, the perception about major problems with respect to export operations and the actions taken to prepare for the accession of Poland to the EU are very important drivers of export propensity and export aversion. More importantly, the results show that the information about special foreign credit available for Polish SMEs and the number of competing firms in domestic market have a positive influence on their export propensity. A strong relationship has been observed between the extent of use of IT tools in distribution-marketing and export propensity. Our results also illustrate that the propensity to export is dependent on the capital of the firm and on profitability of the firm in the domestic market. However, our findings reveal that legal status of firms, the branch of economic activity of the enterprise, the firms with less attractiveness and modernity of products, the firms with little knowledge of EU members' markets and the firms with low technological levels are the factors influencing export aversion of Polish SMEs. Our results demonstrate that the domestic share of the market of the firm is significant in explaining export propensity and aversion. Our empirical results should contribute to policy makers' designing effective assistance programmes to encourage Polish SMEs in their exporting.

The research problem addressed in this study is to determine the potential of selling and marketing consumer goods by Multinational Enterprises (MNE) within the African markets. The mode of entry, the timing of entry, the different modes of entry, selection of the entry mode, the political and economic risks, core competencies of the company and strategic alliance was researched. To achieve this, research was executed on the above areas of importance using relevant literature in which an understanding of the international markets and their options of modes of entry were highlighted. In this way one is able to understand the importance of the international markets and the concerns of doing business in Africa in order to select the entry mode that could best suit the company and the country or countries in Africa. The literature study was then used to develop a questionnaire to test the degree to which managers in MNE in South Africa (SA) and Central East Africa (CEA) concur with regard to the decisions, risks, procedure, modes of entry and selection of modes of entry into Africa. The empirical results obtained indicate a strong concurrence with the analysis of the modes of entry into CEA market for an MNE. The analysis of the literature study, Chapter 2 and 3, gives business a good understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the problems and opportunities associated with the entry decisions into CEA. Many other companies are entering the African markets from other parts of the world and SA has also been seen as a launching pad into Africa. The analysis will give companies the edge in seeing the problems and opportunities in African markets and the way forward when deciding to enter.

This paper empirically investigates the key firm- and industry-specific restrictions to the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in services trade. For this purpose, we use firm-level data from firms in France operating in different services sectors over the time period 1998 to 2007 and formulate two-part models consisting of (i) (dy namic) export equations and (ii) (dynamic) export share equations. Our results confirm the view that a relatively low share of SMEs engage in services trade. In line with the new-new trade theory, our results also corroborate that more productive SMEs have a higher export probability. The key finding of this paper is that the export decisions of SMEs in services sectors are estimated to be extremely persistent, implying that trade pol icy efforts, including the allocation of scarce trade promotion budgets, should be directed at addressing the barriers faced in establishing the first export operation. Finally, our sub-sectoral estimates reveal considerable heterogeneity across different types of services.

Small and medium-sized enterprises play much more important roles in both domestic and international markets nowadays. The issue that factors influence their export performance (mainly the export sales and profits) also becomes much more attractive these years. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the factors which influence the SMEs’ export performance and how each factor influences the SMEs’ export performance. This study is built on a modified model of the factors influencing the SMEs’ export performance. The authors use case study to conduct this research, and one company’s (Company B’s) data is collected through the semi-structured interview. Some findings are obtained: the important factors which influence Company B’s export performance contain the trade shows, the expenses on getting the authentication, capital sources, export rebate, firm network, firm previous experience, firm competencies, personal network, international orientation and personal previous experience. In addition, the authors also find the effect of firm size is indirect. However, customs duty, transportation, as well as building up the brand do not play important impacts on export performance. Take the trade shows as an example, personal cards and product samples are sent to the customers, then the customers who are interested in the products will contact Company B. In this way, the customers are accumulated and the export sales increase. Thus, the export performance is enhanced.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2000.
Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-135). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

The internationalization of SMEs can be expected to gain further momentum because the world economy is becoming increasingly integrated with continuing declines in government-imposed barriers and continuing advances in technology. Meanwhile, more and more SMEs from developing countries start to increase their overseas business. The purpose of this thesis is to study or investigate how SMEs develop and implement their internationalization strategies. To be able to illuminate this question in more detail, essential factors will be looked upon in this paper. We choose the export business as a main entry mode due to SMEs general lack of resources. Generic strategies and marketing mix analysis will also be discussed in the paper in order to obtain essential factors which influence performance of SMEs from developing countries which internationalize their business.Only a qualitative study was carried out to help determine the purpose of the paper, where data was collected through a real case study which was an Exporting Company from a developing country. The primary data was collected through interviews via email with the company founder, accounting manager, manufacturing manager and sales managers, complemented with secondary data collected from internet sources.The empirical findings and analysis has brought to light some interesting conclusions. Export can be a smart choice for SMEs, because they lack of resources at the initial period. Whether the choice is direct export or indirect export, the driving force of SMEs from developing countries are their natural dispositions. Mixed generic strategy can help SMEs conquer disadvantages. While marketing mix theory can also help SMEs aim at niche markets more clearly.Thus, exporting as the most suitable entry mode for SMEs, while mixed generic strategies and marketing mix theory also should be taken into consideration. Therefore the success of internationalization process will be increased for SMEs from developing countries.

Background: The Swedish economy is dependent on exports as it represents 45% of the country's GDP. Simultaneously, Swedish exporting market shares are decreasing on a global scale. In the Swedish government's export strategy which is primarily aimed at Swedish SMEs, the goal is to benefit from future growth expected to originate from the Asian marketplace. The Asian region is expected to represent 44% of future economic growth until 2020, compared to 19% and 23% in Europe and North America respectively. More Swedish SMEs therefore need to enter the Asian market and in order to implement their strategies and operate efficiently, well-suited management control systems must be in place. Purpose: This study’s objective is to identify implemented features of management control systems in Swedish SMEs' located on the Asian marketplace, as to facilitate sustainable future market presence. Contribution: The study identifies several management control aspects which affect a successful establishment of Swedish SMEs on the Asian marketplace, through subsidiaries or strategic partnerships, namely control tightness, communication, budgeting, incentive systems, cultural controls, and end customer controls. The extent to how and when such mechanisms are efficient are dependent on several contingent factors relating to for example national culture, type of presence, and the industry in which the SMEs operate.

This study investigated the expansion strategies of hotel companies that want to expand away from their local market. Due to the growing importance of services in economic development, there is an impressive body of knowledge on the process of internationalisation and service industries. Due to the major changes impacting upon the industry due to the effects of technology and globalisation, it would be useful to establish the important key factors and processes involved during internationalisation. Expanding cross border for a hotel group signifies a number of challenges that must be focused on at the same time. Markets need to be identified, political stability needs to be scanned and cultural differences must be taken into consideration. Logistics and supply chain have to be developed together with operational issues from financial reporting, marketing and human resources. Organisational structures must be adapted to take into account the new levels of responsibility. An in-depth review of the literature regarding internationalisation was conducted, which evidenced that the most useful model for answering the questions was the eclectic paradigm as developed by John Dunning (1993). The paradigm has been used in many manufacturing and service sector studies, including that of the hotel sector (Contractor and Kundu, 1994). A questionnaire was compiled and interviews were set up with the directors and executives tasked with the respective companies’ expansion programmes. Due mainly to the effects of new technology and globalisation on the hotel industry, there have been many changes in the last decade, including increasing consolidation and concentration and an increasing importance upon branding and financial performance. It was apparent from the research that the time taken to internationalise by hotel chains has reduced significantly in the last decade, especially if one looks at the performance of hotel companies such as Accor Hotels. iii Only two of the three companies studied in this treatise had undertaken expansion into Africa with the third company ready for entering soon. Nonequity involvement in general was the most favoured form of involvement with majority of their expansions based on management contracts, joint partnership or franchises. The role of the functional departments, the importance of a global outlook and the necessary structural changes during international expansion was also explored. In order to answer the various research propositions that are posed, the researcher chose to base this research on a phenomenological approach through case study analysis.

The research problem addressed in this study was concerned with the identification of factors that inhibit Small and Medium Enterprises from exporting their products to South Africa’s most important trading partners. To achieve this objective, a theoretical study was conducted to establish what literature reveals to be the most important trading partners, and the problems which businesses experience when they export their products to these destinations from the Eastern Cape. The information obtained in the literature study was analysed, and, in order to resolve the main problem, the research questionnaire was divided into four parts. • Part 1 consisted of biographical questions. • Part 2 consisted of questions aimed at establishing the reasons why organisations embarked on exporting. • Part 3 was concerned with what the respondents perceived as barriers to their export operations. • Part 4 was concerned with strategic decisions and the minimising of risk. The empirical results obtained indicate that, although inhibiting factors are a reality in exporting, these remain secondary to general market forces of supply and demand. It was shown that inhibiting factors do not play as big a role in the export process as the literature suggests.

Globalisation has challenged small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to internationalise. Consequently, the academic world produced extensive publications on how SMEs approach the internationalisation process and what inhibits their export-based expansion. However, during the last decade, growing attention towards sustainability led to the creation of a new form of entrepreneurial organisation: social enterprises. Social enterprises combine an economic goal with the objective to generate a positive impact on society, focusing on social inclusion or environmental issues. The purpose of this study is to investigate if internationalisation theories on SMEs and on export inhibitors apply to social enterprises. The problem has been investigated by conducting a qualitative content analysis of interviews with C-level managers of social enterprises, with a social or environmental focus. The research contributed to validate the applicability of four internationalisation models to social enterprises. The results show a correlation between business and internationalisation maturity and the influence of the social purpose on social enterprises' internationalisation. Hence, theoretical shortcomings that need to be addressed have been identified. Lastly, the study found that social enterprises are subject to the same export barriers of SMEs. The research has been carried in collaboration with Oscar Ohlström, from Stockholm University (SU). Hence, two master thesis reports have been produced. The first is the following one and, the second has been published under the title of "Internationalizing ForProfit Social Enterprise”. Some sections of the documents have been co-written and, they are present in both reports.
Globaliseringen har utmanat små och medelstora företag (SME) att internationalisera. Följaktligen producerade den akademiska världen omfattande publikationer om hur små och medelstora företag närmar sig internationaliseringsprocessen och vad som hämmar sin exportbaserade expansion. Under det senaste årtiondet har dock ökad uppmärksamhet mot hållbarhet skapat en ny form av entreprenörsorganisation: sociala företag. Sociala företag kombinerar ett ekonomiskt mål med målet att skapa en positiv inverkan på samhället, med inriktning på social integration eller miljöfrågor. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om internationaliseringsteorier om små och medelstora företag och exporthämmare gäller sociala företag. Problemet har undersökts genom att genomföra en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av intervjuer med chefer på C-nivå för sociala företag med socialt eller miljömässigt fokus. Forskningen bidrog till att validera tillämpligheten av fyra internationaliseringsmodeller till sociala företag. Resultaten visar en korrelation mellan mognad för företag eller internationalisering och socialt inflytande på socialföretagenas internationalisering. Därför har teoretiska brister som behöver åtgärdas identifierats. Slutligen fann studien att sociala företag är föremål för samma exportbarriärer för små och medelstora företag. Forskningen har genomförts i samarbete med Oscar Ohlström, från Stockholms Universitet (SU). Därför har två masterprojekt rapporterats. Den första är den följande och den andra har publicerats under titeln "Internationalisering för socialt företagande". Vissa delar av dokumenten har skrivits samman och de är närvarande i båda rapporterna.

The success of international business depends on effective negotiations. Such negotiations do no happen in a vacuum, but usually in a specific environment that includes; time, surrounding, place, culture and people. The business environmental setting includes legal and political pluralism, currency fluctuations, foreign exchange, foreign government controls, bureaucracy, instability, change, ideological and cultural differences, as well as the influence of external stakeholders. These business negotiations environments can influence the behaviour of negotiation in global firms, impacting firms internationally. The reasons to negotiate on an international level may include considerations such as: choice of venue, culture to observe; and the outcome of the negotiation process. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the international marketing environment, awareness of negotiation skill, interest groups and negotiation atmosphere on behaviour of marketers in a global firm. The study assessed the impact of negotiation behaviour on business agreements based on trust and certainty and level of commitment. The purpose of the study was to gauge the impact of negotiations behaviour pertaining to failure of business negotiations in Tanzania. In addition, the study endeavoured to determine the impact of environmental variables on the negotiation behaviour of marketers. The questionnaires used in the study comprised seven variables with statements linked to a five-point Likert-type interval scale varying from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree. Self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection from global firms’ marketers and their management representatives; 323 questionnaires were collected from respondents. This study contributed to the literature on negotiation behaviour in a global firm and the perceptions of such global marketers in Tanzania. Many international companies in Tanzania find it difficult to formulate and implement a comprehensive business strategy; therefore, this study intends to equip international business managers with the leadership skills required. Based on the findings of this study, the negotiators and government are expected to play a major role in business negotiations to promote effective trade agreements despite limitations of political influence in the negotiation process. Political stability in a country enhances foreign business which in turn improves negotiation behaviour. A just legal system, with clear and unambiguous business guidelines and policies would benefit and promote local businesses and government representatives and negotiators in respect of international business negotiation behaviour. Reasonable tax and interest rates and fair business policies should improve international trade negotiations and business practices. In order to conduct successful international negotiations aspects such as culture, language differences, customs and traditions are important and should enjoy high priority. Aspects such as these mentioned influence the conducting and atmosphere and outcome of negotiations. The study reveals that the use of specialists and interpreters are imperative to guarantee understanding and successful outcomes. According to the findings negotiators should possess good negotiating skills to be able to steer the negotiation process through the different phases of negotiation that requires different negotiating skills at each stage of negotiation. It is clear that to have successful win-win negotiation outcomes the leading negotiator should put together a good team, with expert knowledge of product or conditions and negotiating skill, as well as possessing the attributes mentioned in the previous paragraph. The negotiator should also be able to determine authority limits, patience and observe negotiation ethics. No team disagreements concerning the business/project matters should be aired in front of counterparts during negotiations and professional conduct must prevail at all times. The findings of the study indicated that awareness of the practice of offering concessions regarding government tariff laws and price discounts that is in line with traditions in Tanzania. Concessions should not be made until all issues have been discussed, to avoid granting unnecessary benefits during negotiation that might be interpreted as bribery. This study concluded that it is important that marketers meet the requirements of business practices by sharing clear guidelines and policies regarding business practices, as this will lead to fruitful decisions. It was also found that negotiation behaviour improves when negotiators are willing to share information and agree that all communication must be in writing; marketers are more comfortable when there is a clear understanding of matters agreed upon, the choice of trading partners and that all trading agreements are written and a contract signed by all the parties, including governments where necessary. Marketers’ intentions are derived from the common interests of both parties and the negotiations should always take place in avenue that is suitable to both parties, conducted in fairness and offers must be reasonable and attainable with a positive outcome as the ultimate aim for both parties. This study reveals that negotiators insist on the use an agent or agents and sub-contractors to ensure mutually beneficial strategic business partnerships. However, when the role of the interest groups is explained to all participants, negotiation behaviour improves. It can also be concluded that negotiators allow interest groups to participate as team leaders and their number should be equal to the number of foreign negotiators, to ensure that marketers feel more at ease and comfortable to participate. An atmosphere based on bargaining power exerts a positive influence on the level of commitment among negotiating partners; and can be a predictor of the range of agreement as well as shape limits and priorities among dimensions of rivalry. However, it is important for marketers to express willingness to accept the terms of their counterpart’s bargaining zone regardless of non-profitable quotas at stake; identify areas of bargaining from foreign traders even if they are not attractive enough for local traders and are comfortable with the counterparts’ bargaining zone regarding fixed rates on exporting and importing quotas between trading partners to build trust among negotiators. In conclusion, it was found that negotiation behaviour has a positive influence on the level of commitment of trading partners. A positive business relationship is created on trust and a high-level of commitment which should be of great satisfaction to negotiating parties for future prospective negotiations.

More and more SME’s, which create entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, which are primarily responsible for wealth and economic growth, are internationalizing. This increases their probability of business closure due to the increased risk they face from operating in foreign markets. Much of the world blames the U.S. financial excesses for these business closures, but at the same time there are also SME’s withdrawing activities from foreign markets in economic stable times. This indicates that there are more and other reasons for de-internationalization and raises the problem of how do SME’s close their businesses in foreign markets. The purpose of this study is to explore how the drivers and determinants of deinternationalization affect the form and the paths of de-internationalization for SME’s. The aim is to provide and contribute to a better understanding of deinternationalization. This was studied through developing four case studies with Dutch SME’s with a qualitative research approach. For empirical data collection interviews were conducted with the persons closely involved with the de-internationalization of the SME’s. This in combination with the developed theoretical framework, based on a theory discussion and synthesis, provided more insight into the de-internationalization topic. The findings of this study show that a unique combination of drivers and determinants of de-internationalization is present in each case study and the relative influence of them differs. Most of the de-internationalization took place in a voluntary way, due to the nature and predictability of the occurring drivers. Moreover, it was found that the drivers of de-internationalization combined with the determinants influence the form in which de-internationalization can take place. It was also found that the form of deinternationalization, which SME’s have chosen, determines the two paths of deinternationalization, which are partial divestment and full market exit. This study contributes to the better understanding of de-internationalization, by identifying the forms and paths which SME’s can choose when withdrawing activities in foreign markets. Moreover, the main drivers and determinants have been identified and it was analysed how they affect the different forms and paths of de-internationalization and this was conceptualized in a model. The recommendations are, that deinternationalization should be seen as a strategic option SME’s have and should be considered in corporate strategies. Therefore, the associations with this phenomenon could be seen (more) positive.

With the advent of the internet and the development of Information and Communication technology, new reinvented forms of Trade Promotion Organizations have emerged. The globalization of today’s trading environment has forced economies to prioritize the development of the export competitiveness of their SMEs sector, as to be able to survive amidst the fierce global competition. The digital economy has created new means and channels of overcoming barriers of trade faced by SMEs due to their size and limited resources. To this end the International trade center has launched the Global Trade Point Network in 1993. The objective of this new electronic form of TPO is to assist firms in developing countries to explore business opportunities effectively by providing them with targeted market information and facilitating exporting procedures at a relatively low cost. With the expanding number of interconnected Trade Points, The GTPNet is rising to be the main global network for trade-related information streams. This study explored the extent of usefulness of these trade points in providing SMEs with real export opportunities as well as boosting their export competitiveness in Egypt, due to it being the one country with the highest number of operating trade points. The study used a mixed sequential methodology, combining both a semi structured interview based qualitative analysis followed by a questionnaire based large scale survey. This study was built around the theory of stages of internationalization, to reflect the fact that SMEs in the new evolving digital environment, are still in need of acquiring export market knowledge throughout the different stages of the internationalization process through secondary sources. Export market-knowledge as a firm resource boosts its competitive position and in turn to increased commitment to the export operation. On a theoretical level, a perceived usefulness construct for International trade points has been developed using exploratory factor analysis that paves the way to empirical tests of the different recommendations in the export promotion literature. The domain incorporates a new factor pertinent to the unique nature of International trade points, as being dependent on an electronic matching system supported by a global network, the proposed definition and usefulness of International trade points provides a conceptual framework in an area where little prior research has been conducted. Based on the findings, Egyptian Small and Medium Enterprises did not appreciate this new developed service due to their lack of e-readiness and resilience to engage in this process. From a practical perspective, the study has supported the findings of previous empirical studies, that pointed out that Export promotion Organizations are not targeting the real potential disadvantaged firms as committed exporters with high export intensity were the main recipients of successful trading opportunities through International Trade Points, as well as the ones that perceived these governmental sponsored organizations to be more useful. Moreover, the study revealed the shortcomings in the performance of International trade points, which are to a great extent attributable to their inefficient governmental organizational and managerial structure.

This diploma thesis deals with the question of export support for small and medium enterprises in the context of international trade of the Czech Republic. It presents a comprehensive study of the development of foreign trade of the Czech Republic since 1993 to the present, focusing especially on the role of small and medium-sized enterprises and their importance for the whole economy. Fruther it maps the availability of both state and private export support services which are consequently compared with actual needs, identified through own research among small and medium-sized enterprises. On these basis possible modifications leading to more efficient and transparent system are recommended with ambitions to improve the export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Furniture production in Sweden still exists on a comparably small scale. The majority, or more than 99 percent, of all furniture producers in Sweden are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with less than 250 employees. Despite their size, these firms are, to a large extent, involved in export. This is fully in line with the accelerating trend of internationalization found among firms of all sizes. However, research focused on internationalization has been primarily concentrated on larger firms, which is unfortunate considering that the vast majority of all firms within the European Union can be described as SMEs. The purpose of this research is, therefore, to extend our understanding of internationalization and performance among small and medium sized firms by explaining export involvement and performance among small and medium sized furniture producers in Sweden. This research is completed within the theoretical framework of the modified PSE model, which consists of four components: perception of export barriers, strategy competence, export involvement, and performance. A quantitative survey was conducted among 324 firms, yielding a response rate of 56 percent. The empirical data was analyzed using the methods of multiple linear regression, logistic regression, and ordinal regression. The result suggests that strategy competence, measured in terms of relatedness and market knowledge, explains the main export mode and performance among exporting SMEs. In addition, main export mode seems to explain performance. The main findings of this research are visualized through a new model, SCEMPER. Another finding is that barriers originating with the owner/key decision-maker of a firm seem to prevent firms from becoming involved in export. In addition, attitude towards export and the age of the firm appear to be important determinants of export involvement and performance among SMEs.

The Uppsala Process Theory of Internationalization (PTI) and the International New Venture Theory of Internationalization (INV) are two of the most influential and well researched behavioural theories of internationalization to have emerged from the internationalization literature stream. They offer alternative descriptions of the path that enterprises take to internationalization and have both led to streams of literature focusing on different aspects of the internationalization process. Both models explain how an enterprise moves from an initial ‘low’ domestic starting point and progresses to become an international enterprise. The two models both explain the behaviours and attributes that are necessary in order to successfully develop along their respective predicted international trajectories. These behaviours and attributes highlighted within each model are said to be highly influential in helping to overcome and/or mitigate the barriers on the predicted trajectory to internationalization. However, the impact that these behaviours/attributes have on the perception of barriers to export has rarely been tested directly. This research is designed to investigate the relationship between experiential knowledge (a fundamental concept within the PTI model) and entrepreneurial input (a fundamental concept within the INV theory), on the perception of a range of selected barriers to manufacturing export, from the Chinese province of Ningxia. This research developed a conceptual framework and testable models based on experiential knowledge and entrepreneurial input. It then identified a selection of barriers to manufacturing export from the Chinese province of Ningxia. These were selected from the export barrier literature stream. This research took a positivist view and quantitative data was obtained from the use of structured self-administered questionnaires administered through judgement sampling techniques at business seminars and consultancy sessions. A total of ninety-eight valid responses were used for quantitative analysis. Correlation and regression techniques were used to analyse the data and new combined models from the experiential knowledge and entrepreneurial input model variables were developed using Stepwise Regression. The study found, in the majority of cases, that as the individual experiential knowledge and entrepreneurial input model variables increased, the perception of difficulty of the individual selected barriers to export decreased. The experiential knowledge model could best explain the reduction in the perception of twelve of the barriers to export, whereas the entrepreneurial input model could best explain the reduction in the perception of six different barriers. Of the eighteen selected barriers to export, the constructed combined models better explained the reduction in the perception of the individual barriers to export in thirteen cases. Other findings of this research include; the ‘export intensity’ variable best explained the reduction in the perception of nine of the eighteen barriers to export; the ‘attitude to risk’ variable best explained the reduction in the perception of four barriers; the ‘years of international involvement’ best explained the reduction in the perception of two barriers, and finally the ‘level of education of the decision maker’ variable best explained the reduction in the perception of two barriers, which included the ‘identification of new markets’ and ‘overcoming unfamiliar documents and procedures’ barriers. The research ends with a discussion of SME development policy in the light of the research findings.

This thesis explores the potential impact of the Internet and international entrepreneurship on the export performance of UK based Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) operating in the following sectors: food and beverages, textiles, clothing and fur, biotechnology and instrumentation, and computers and office machinery. The findings reveal that, in general, UK based SMEs are moderately committed to Internet technologies and that their owner/managers are innovative, moderately proactive and risk takers. The findings also show that the export performance of SMEs is influenced by a mix of entrepreneurs characteristics (i.e. perceptions of growth, profits and costs of exporting, level of education, work responsibility, work experience and proactivity) and the level of Internet commitment of the firm (i.e. email and Intranet, interconnectivity, Internet information, perceived external Internet benefits and promotion on the Web). These antecedents reflect the current environment w here globalisation and advances in information and communication technology (ICT) put pressure on SMEs and give them hope to participate more effectively in international markets. Also, this result gives support to the Resource Based View (RBV) and indicates that UK based SMEs export performance is highly attributed to the resources and competencies at the owner/managers level (i.e. owner/managers social psychological characteristics and entrepreneurial orientation behaviour) and at the level of the firm (i.e. level of Internet commitment). Moreover, the results give some support to the incremental internationalisation process, where almost half of the firms are following the conventional models of internationalisation and export to the psychically close country, namely the USA. Also, the findings support the 'born global' phenomenon where half the firms investigated have started internationalising either from, or shortly after, inception. Four categories of UK based SMEs were identified and recommendations made according to the firm level of Internet use (high versus low) and owner/managers entrepreneurial orientation behaviour (high versus low). Implications for policy makers evolved around targeting different SMEs with different export promotion assistance schemes and international business education programmes, raising awareness about the global scope of Internet e-commerce in helping SMEs enter and succeed in export markets, and fostering networking among firms interested in international markets.

This thesis consists of four individual essays and an introductory chapter. While independent from each other, these essays share some common properties. They are all empirical and focus on the interaction between inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) and host country characteristics. The primary focus of the thesis lies in how inflows of FDI affect developing and transition economies. Macro-level data are used in all essays. The first essay analyses the FDI inflows that the transition economies of Eastern Europe have attracted and tries to find determinants of these inflows. The following two essays compare the effect of FDI between developing and developed economies. The second essay studies the relationship between corruption in the host country and the volume of FDI inflows. The third essay explores the effect of FDI inflows on host country economic growth. The fourth and final essay analyses the relationship between FDI and trade, focusing on the link between FDI flows and host country exports in eight East Asian economies.

With increasing globalisation of the world economy, there is growing interest in international business research among academics, business practitioners and public policy makers. As marketing is usually the first corporate function to internationalise, it occupies the centre-stage in the international strategy debate. The objective of this study is to understand the environmental and organisational factors that drive the desirable outcomes of learning, innovation and performance in multinational firms. By adapting the IO-based, resource-based and contingency theories, the study proposes the environment-conduct-outcome framework and a model of global marketing in MNCs. Using the structural equation modelling-based PLS methodology, the model is estimated with data from a global survey of marketing managers in MNC subsidiaries. The results show that the traditional international marketing strategy and organisational structure constructs of adaptation and autonomy do not have a significant direct effect on MNC performance. Instead, the effects are largely mediated by the networking, learning and innovation constructs that are included in the proposed model. The study also shows that, whereas collaborative decision making has a positive effect on interunit learning, subsidiary autonomy has a significant influence on innovativeness in MNC subsidiaries. Finally, it is found that marketing mix adaptation has an adverse impact on the performance of MNCs facing high global integration pressures but improves the performance of MNCs confronted with low global integration pressures. The findings have important implications for global marketing in MNCs. First, to enhance organisational learning and innovation and ultimately improve corporate performance, MNCs should simultaneously develop the potentially conflicting organisational attributes of collective decision-making among the subsidiaries and greater autonomy to the subsidiaries. Second, to tap local knowledge, MNCs should increasingly regard their country units as 'colleges' or 'seminaries' of learning rather than merely as 'subsidiaries' with secondary or subordinate roles. Finally, to improve MNC performance, the key requirement is to achieve a good fit between the global organisational structure, marketing strategy and business environment. Overall, the results provide partial support for the IO-based and resource-based views and strong support for the contingency perspective in international strategy.

El objetivo general de la investigación es analizar los acogimientos indebidos en las solicitudes de restitución de derechos arancelarios - Drawback y su efecto en la rentabilidad de la empresa, durante los años 2011 - 2013 considerada deficiente; con respecto a un marco referencial que integre: las normas que deben cumplir las empresas exportadoras; mediante un análisis cuanti-cualitativo; con el propósito de identificar las causas de cada parte del problema; de tal manera que tengamos base o fundamento para proponer recomendaciones que contribuyan a mejorar las decisiones y las acciones a fin de elevar su eficiencia, traduciéndose en mayor solidez financiera; y evitar la repetición de errores cuando se acogen a este beneficio; si esto último fuera posible.
Trabajo de investigación

The objective of the thesis is to analyse the German export and to analyse German indirect foreign trade promotion. The first part examines export weaknesses and risks and their impacts on German economy. The second part investigates and evaluates the institutional arrangement of the foreign trade promotion system and compares it with selected European economies.

This master thesis aims to explore the conditions of small and medium-sized enterprises in expanding to foreign markets and to find opportunities that will help these businesses to grow. By opportunity it is meant the company's own effort, or state and non-state support of SME's. In the thesis there is analyzed the situation of SME's in the Czech market and the services and support that businesses can use while expanding abroad, it also analyses the modern methods in this area. The aim of the thesis is to analyze trends in the field of internationalization of SMEs, to identify the key needs of Czech companies and to compare them with the actual support offered in the Czech market. Based on a comparison with foreign practice, namely New Zealand, it should propose new ways and opportunities in the process of expansion.

El cacao peruano se ha convertido en uno de los productos nacionales más importantes del país, ya que gracias a su alta producción y a sus atributos ha logrado posicionarse como el tercer mayor productor de la región y octavo a nivel mundial. Por ello, el Estado peruano ha buscado promover su consumo e internacionalización mediante diversas acciones como el Programa “Ruta Exportadora”, el cual cuenta con una línea especializada de cacao. Ante esto, la presente tesis tiene como objetivo principal determinar si la participación en el Programa Ruta Exportadora está asociada con el desempeño exportador de las empresas PYMES del sector cacao de las Regiones San Martín y Junín entre el periodo de 2016-2019, considerando como dimensiones el (i) Compromiso Exportador, (ii) Conocimiento Exportador, (iii) Asistencia Financiera y (iv) Redes Internacionales basado en investigaciones predecederas. Para ello, se aplicó una investigación mixta con diseño transversal correlacional. Para la información cualitativa se entrevistaron a 8 expertos de PROMPERÚ y consultores externos, analizados mediante el programa Atlas Ti. Asimismo, para la fase cuantitativa se diseñó una encuesta cerrada a escala de Likert, obteniendo 14 respuestas de representantes de PYMES cacaoteras participantes del programa y analizados a través del software SPSS. Con relación a los resultados, mediante el análisis de Rho Spearman, se obtuvo que el Programa “Ruta Exportadora” está relacionado con el desempeño exportador de las empresas PYMES del sector cacao de las Regiones San Martín y Junín entre el periodo de 2016-2019. Además, se pudo determinar que las dimensiones de (ii) conocimiento exportador y (iv) redes internacionales están relacionadas con el desempeño exportador; mientras que (i) el compromiso exportador y (iii) asistencia financiera no se encuentran asociadas.
Peruvian cocoa has become one of the most important national products in the country, as thanks to its high production and attributes it´s highly demanded internationally, managing to position as the third largest producer in the region and eighth worldwide. For this reason, the Peruvian State has been establishing various actions to promote its consumption and commercialization, such as the "Export Route" Program, which has a specialized cocoa line. Given this, the present research work aims to determine if the “Export Route” Program is associated on the export performance of SMEs companies in the cocoa sector of the San Martín and Junín Regions between the period 2016-2019, considering as dimensions of the program the Export Commitment, Export of Knowledge, Financial Assistance and International Networks. For this, a mixed investigation was applied, with a correlational cross-sectional design. For the qualitative information, 8 experts from PROMPERU and external consultants were interviewed, analyzed through the Atlas Ti program. Also, for the quantitative phase, a closed Likert scale survey was designed, obtaining 14 responses from representatives of cocoa SMEs participating in the program and analyzed through the SPSS software. Regarding the results, through the Rho Spearman analysis, it was obtained that the "Export Route" Program is related to the export performance of SMEs in the cocoa sector of the San Martin and Junín Regions between the period 2016-2019. In addition, it was found that the dimensions of (ii) export knowledge and (iv) international networks are related to export performance; while (i) the export commitment and (iii) financial assistance are not associated.
Tesis

This study is conducted through content analysis to determine the degree of advertising standardization between the United States and Taiwan. Based on the literature review the impact of standardization versus localization advertising strategies is discussed.

This diploma thesis deals with Czech economic diplomacy as an instrument or rather tool of the foreign policy of the Czech Republic to promote its economic interests and goals in the People´s Republic of China. Specifically, it deals with the state pro-export policy and state support of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the process of entering Chinese market. The thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter explores the concept of economic diplomacy and the models of the governance of economic diplomacy in the world as well as in the Czech Republic. The second chapter focuses on the realization of the Czech economic diplomacy in China, analyzes the Czech-Chinese foreign trade and the development of political and diplomatic relations between the two countries. The third chapter is devoted to the SMEs and their penetration of the Chinese market. It explains the importance of the SMEs to the Czech economy and export and defines the phases of the penetration. In this chapter, the author examines how the state supports the SMEs entering the Chinese market and whether this support covers all phases of this complex process. Finally, the author explains why SMEs are not satisfied with the state support of export and outlines possible solutions.

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The central aim of this study is to identify the influence of the main features of the entrepreneurial orientation of a SME-Small and Medium Enterprise manger of the metal-mechanic sector of São Bernardo do Campo, in the process of internationalization of the company. The research, by means of a case study in four companies in São Bernardo do Campo, a city that concentrates many companies and is responsible for a substantial portion of the total trade of the whole Brazil, identifies the influence of the main characteristics of an entrepreneurial orientation manager of an SME. In structuring and validation of the research, by means of the case study, were interviewed by author the four main managers of these SMEs, under a structured script, that faced with the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation and theories of internationalization, able to complete the success in this process is directly linked to the guidance of his manager, who may or may not refer to a companys internationalization process, therefore, the manager needs to master orientation of these dimensions in a systematic way and apply them to your business.
O objetivo central deste estudo é o de identificar a influência das principais características da orientação empreendedora de um gestor de PME-Pequena e Média Empresa do setor metal-mecânico de São Bernardo do Campo, no processo de internacionalização da empresa. A pesquisa, por meio de estudo de caso em quatro empresas do município de São Bernardo do Campo, município que concentra muitas empresas e é responsável por importante parcela da corrente de comércio do Brasil inteiro, identifica a influência das principais características da orientação empreendedora de um gestor destas PME. Na estruturação e validação do instrumento de investigação, por meio do estudo de caso, foram entrevistados pelo autor os quatro principais gestores destas PME, sob um roteiro estruturado, que confrontado com as dimensões das orientações empreendedoras e as teorias de internacionalização, conseguiu concluir que o sucesso neste processo está diretamente ligado à orientação do seu gestor, que pode ou não encaminhar a empresa a um processo de internacionalização, para tanto, este gestor precisa dominar parte destas dimensões de orientação de forma sistêmica e aplicá-las no seu negócio.

First chapter explains the concept of SME in terms of providing of the state support, and points out their contribution to economy and society. Second chapter provides a brief overview of the activities of EU towards SME sector and state support of cross-border activities of SME. Third chapter provides an overview of commercial and alternative forms of financing of SME's activities, such as activities of commercial banks towards SMEs, factoring, leasing and private equity). Fourth chapter is an analysis of impact of crisis on financing of SME, concentrated on governmental anticrisis measurements and their real impact on financing of export with state support.

The new South Africa has an amazing economic growth that creates a significant opportunity for international companies to start their businesses in South Africa. For those companies which are interested in the South African market, it is very important for them to understand the factors that influence their entry-mode selection. The objective of this study is to determine the main factors that have an impact on the decision of a foreign business to enter South Africa. To achieve this objective, the researcher used an integrated study method, as follows: {u10007A} A systematic review of the popular entry-modes and the main factors influencing the entry-mode selection, sourced from the relevant literature. In addition, South African business was also introduced. {u10007A} Based on the factors related in the literature, an empirical survey was completed by those foreign companies who had already successfully entered into South Africa, in order to figure out the rank importance of these factors. With an integrated study of literature and empirical research, the rank importance of factors that have an impact on the foreign business entry-mode selection in South Africa is as follows: 1. Firm’s product 2. Control level of entry-mode 3. Ownership of entry 4. Resource commitment of entry-mode 5. Political factor 6. Firm’s objective 7. Technological factors 8. Economic factors 9. Firm’s experience in international marketing 10. Firm’s size 11. Dissemination risk of entry-mode 12. Socio-cultural factors 13. Flexibility of entry-mode Key terms: International market entry-mode South African business environment.

Tato disertacni prace je venovana tematu malych a strednich podniku v Syrii: Analyza - Management - Dovoz a Vyvoz. Syrsky trh je mezinarodnimu obchodovani pomerne otevreny. Obchodni smlouvy byly podepsany jiz s nekolika zememi. V rijnu 2004 Syrie podepsala take smlouvu o spolupraci s evropskou unii. Tato prace popisuje a analyzuje male a stredni podniky v Syrii pro pot.eby mezinarodniho obchodu i Syrskeho trhu. Ziskane vysledky jsou zpracovany a na jejich zaklade jsou stanovena doporuceni pro firmy hodlajici dovazet ci vyvazet do /ze Syrie.

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This research paper seeks to show an alternative to insert micro and small firms into the international market through the electronic solution available few years ago in the market, Brazil Web Trade. Starting from the assumption that micro and small firms face difficulties to reach a larger market with the traditional strategies - this is a major reason for the early closure of its activities - in addition to the difficulties in delivering the product in places geographically dis-tant, in time agreed with the buyer, such a tool could come to bring satisfactory results. Besides that, Brazil Web Trade does not require large investments for their use. This is a solution that brings the same environment all the necessary requirements to take effect a sale abroad, since the company's presentation to the market, a storefront with products, offers and delivery, printing of documents required by Brazilian laws, till the physical delivery of goods. It is also possible to link to another virtual environment where they can be traded foreign ex-change from the sale. Sought to demonstrate the importance of international trade and the benefits obtained from an exporter. Was used as research meth-odology case study where they might be recorded the experiences of exporting company with the solution. The analysis of the actual facts led to the conclusion that, if properly used, the tool can effectively collaborate in the integration of micro and small firms and work together to strengthen them
O presente trabalho de pesquisa busca mostrar uma alternativa para inserção competitiva das micro e pequenas empresas no mercado internacional através de uma solução eletrônica disponível já há alguns anos no mercado, o Brasil Web Trade. Partindo-se do pressuposto que as micro e pequenas empresas encontram dificuldades em alcançar um público maior com as estratégias tradicionais sendo este um dos principais motivos para o encerramento precoce de suas atividades além das dificuldades em disponibilizar o produto em locais geograficamente distantes, no tempo acertado com o comprador, tal ferramenta poderia vir a trazer resultados bastante satisfatórios. Ao lado disso, o Brasil Web Trade não requer grandes investimentos para sua utilização. Tra-ta-se de uma solução que congrega em um mesmo ambiente todos os requisi-tos necessários para que seja efetivada uma venda ao exterior, desde a apre-sentação da empresa ao mercado, uma vitrine virtual com produtos, ofertas e condições de entrega, impressão de documentos exigidos pelas normas brasi-leiras, até a entrega física da mercadoria. Há ainda a possibilidade de direcio-namento para outro ambiente virtual onde poderá ser negociada a moeda es-trangeira proveniente da sua venda. Procurou-se demonstrar a importância do comércio internacional e as vantagens obtidas em ser exportador. Foi utilizado como metodologia de pesquisa o estudo de caso onde puderam ser registradas as experiências vivenciadas por empresa exportadora com a solução. A análise dos fatos registrados conduziu à conclusão que, se adequadamente utilizada, a ferramenta pode efetivamente colaborar na inserção das micro e pequenas empresas e colaborar no sentido de fortalecimento delas

Questa tesi analizza le determinanti e gli effetti dell'innovazione attraverso un'analisi empirica. Nel primo capitolo viene analizzato l'impatto delle leggi di proprietà intellettuale sull'innovazione domestica in campo farmaceutico. Nel secondo capitolo, in cui vengono usati dati a livello di impresa, si studia la correlazione tra innovazione, export, produttività e vincoli finanziari. Infine nell'ultimo capitolo si studia l'effetto dell'innovazione domestica nell'attrarre investimenti diretti esteri. Mentre nel primo e nell'ultimo capitolo l'innovazione viene misurata come output, usando il numero di brevetti attribuiti ad un determinato paese, nel secondo capitolo vengono usati dati di R&D, e quindi di input di innovazione.
This dissertation analyses the determinants and the effects of innovation using an empirical analysis. In the first chapter the impact of Intellectual Property Rights on domestic innovation in the pharmaceutical sector is estimated. In the second chapter the correlation between innovation, export, productivity and financial constraint is studied at the firm level. Finally, in the last chapter the role of domestic innovation in attracting Foreign Direct Investments is estimated. While in the first and in the last chapter innovation output is considered, and innovation is proxied by patent data, in the second chapter innovation input is taken into account, and R&D data are used.

This master's thesis describes the process of extending the Process Inspector for data export into Enterprise Architect. The thesis includes two sections - theoretical (dealing with the theoretical background of process management) and practical (the implementation itself).

This thesis seeks to develop insights into the nature of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that are effective in competing internationally, over the longer term. It therefore aims to provide a better understanding of the behaviour that engenders this capability. Its contributory value lies in the development of the new perspectives which emerged from inductive theory development grounded in longitudinal data collected between1996-1999. Traditionally explanations for the success of SMEs in export markets, it is suggested, have been sought in the marketing mix paradigm rooted in exchange theory. This thesis draws from a range of literature in seeking an understanding of the behaviours observed. In developing a substantive theory to explain the dynamic nature of firms that sustain their competitive effectiveness on international markets this thesis then seeks explanations from the organisational learning paradigm. This study follows the tradition of the naturalistic paradigm and as such the research was a phenomenological study of an exploratory and qualitative nature. The naturalistic paradigm recognises the importance of the subjective experiences of individuals and groups. In the verstehen tradition this study stresses the importance of the informant as the primary source of information. The aim of the inquiry was to develop an ideographic body of knowledge, the emphasis being on explanation and understanding rather than the identification of general and universal laws. The epistemological stance taken required an inductive approach to theory building. Examining the firms longitudinally was the means by which the author was able to take an holistic view of the international activities of the firms studied and focus on the change processes and challenges faced in the study period. The central proposition of this thesis is that the firms that compete effectively on international markets exhibit a positive marketing orientation, and have a strong core purpose on which is generated a clear internationally based strategic direction. It is further proposed that over a period of time, through an iterative process of strategy development, firms build a sustainable competitive advantage in their international markets and develop the ability to maintain this advantage, even when faced with hostile challenges in their international markets. Firms, it is suggested through their relationships, build a virtual structure to their international markets, which provide the means through which a knowledge of their markets is acquired, and an input is made to the strategy development process by external partners. However, it is through the dynamic processes of organisational learning that SMEs develop these capabilities and so enhance their ability to sustain a competitive advantage over a period of time.