EXPORTING PROBLEMS OF INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURERS

This article presents an empirical investigation of the problems exper ienced by small and medium sized U.K. industrial manufacturers in cond ucting their export trading activities with overseas customers. The hy pothesis examined is that the strength of perceived exporting problems is inversely related to the export intensify of firms. Data were gene rated from 254 firms responding to a battery of exporting problem item s. Following principal components analysis, four dimensions were deriv ed concerning problems with: export marketing knowledge and communicat ion; national export administration; production technology; and export competitive position. Parameter estimates of their relationship with firms' level of export intensity revealed negative associations for al l dimensions with problems concerning export marketing knowledge and c ommunication, and export competitive position specified as significant impediments to export development, providing partial support to the s tudy hypothesis. These findings are interpreted and discussed in the l ight of extant theory and particular attention is paid to the implicat ions for management and public policy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.