Import motivation in manufacturer-overseas distributor relationships - Guidelines for US industrial exporters

U.S. exporters face ever increasing competition as they try to penetrate fo reign markets. Understanding the forces driving the import decision-making process of overseas customers is vital in exporters' efforts to compete suc cessfully. However, little empirical research has been conducted in the fie ld of international marketing to examine the issue of import motivation. Th is article reports on a systematic study of import motives of U.K. distribu tor firms trading with U.S. exporting manufacturers of industrial products. In this context, the relationship between such motivating elements and deg ree of import involvement is investigated. The results reveal the presence of significant differences in the patterns of motivation between different groups of firms in terms of the level of import involvement. The implicatio ns of the study for U.S. industrial exporters are discussed, and future res earch directions identified (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reser ved.