Firm characteristics influencing export propensity: An empirical investigation by industry type

This study examines 20,204 manufacturers in a midwestern state to determine whether firm characteristics significantly influence the propensity to exp ort. By examining census data, the researchers seek to address the speculat ion that the lack of representativeness of previous studies has skewed the interpretation qi the influence of firm characteristics on export propensit y. The variables examined are number of employees, total sales, years in bu siness, international trade activity (exporter/nonexporter), primary indust rial classification, and firm ownership. The results of the study indicate that the value of using firm characteristics to predict export behavior var ies by industry. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.