Motivating nonexporters to go abroad: Investigating the role of government using evidence from a developing country

• Author: Robert Newbery,Mohamed Yacine Haddoud,Paul Jones
• Date: 01 July 2018
• Published date: 01 July 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2213

RESEARCH ARTICLE

DOI: 10.1002/jsc.2213

Strategic Change. 2018;27(4):417–429. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jsc © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 417

Abstract

oernment erort rromoঞon rro]rams enhance erort intenঞon o= small and medium enter-

rrises throu]h boosঞn] their mana]erial and relaঞonal resources. In l]eria, mana]erial and rela-

ঞonal resources are the main driers o= erort intenঞon, whereas or]aniaঞonal carabiliঞes hae

a limited inYuence. rort rromoঞon rro]rams increase CrmsĽ mana]erial, or]aniaঞonal and

relaঞonal resources. t the rre-erort sta]e, in=ormaঞonal rro]rams are more lihely to enhance

SsĽ erort iniঞaঞon than ererienঞal ones.

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rorঞn] has been rroed to be a reliable en]ine o= ]rowth and rros-

rerity =or naঞons and Crms (ado]an, aul, Salminen, uumalainen, &

Sundtist, 2001; Lee, 2011) and durin] the recent ]lobal recession,

countries with a stron] manu=acturin] erort base, such as ermany

and Srain, had the most eLcient economic recoery (a rhenomenon

hnown as ľerort-led recoeryĿ) (uch, 2014). s a result, many

countries are now acঞely loohin] to establish a solid manu=actur-

in] erort base to =oster economic deelorment. mon] the sectors

concerned in this e@ort, the sector that has drawn the most aenঞon

is the small- and medium-sie enterrrises (Ss), not only because

it is an imrortant sector in any countryĽs economy, but also because

erorঞn] is considered as the most rorular internaঞonal mode o=

entry =or these Crms.

oweer, erorঞn] can be challen]in] and may be hamrered by

a number o= obstacles that can rreent Ss =rom enterin] =orei]n

marhets (Leonidou, alihawadana, & $heodosiou, 2011) and as such,

eternal assistance is o[en needed to enable entry to the marhet

(Wilhinson & routhers, 200ѵ). In reco]niঞon o= this, oernments are

increasin]ly o@erin] oernment rort romoঞon ro]rams (here-

a[er re=erred to as s) that aim to imrroe a Crms erort-related

resources and enhance erort behaior (elesha-Srasoa, laister, &

Stride, 2012; haudhry & rich, 2002; Srence & rich, 2004). $hese

rro]rams are either ľin=ormaঞonalĿ or ľererienঞalĿ (arotue &

$ahahashi, 201Ɣ; en2tুrh & otabe, 2001; otabe & inhota,

1992), in that some o= them are rrimarily =or rroidin] erort-

related in=ormaঞon (such as seminars, worhshors, indiidual counsel-

lin], trainin]s, and lan]ua]e surrort) and re=erred to as In=ormaঞonal

s; and some are rrincirally =or rroidin] tan]ible ererience

throu]h rersonal contacts with =orei]n marhets staheholders (such as

trade shows and missions) and are re=erred to as rerienঞal s

(arotue & $ahahashi, 201Ɣ; en2tুrh & otabe, 2001).

$he releance o= such rro]rams to S needs remains uncertain

(Jones & rich, 2001; Srence & rich, 2004) and emrirical research

assessin] their eLciency is relaঞely limited and inconclusie (ann॔

et al., 2014; reianet, 2012; anda, eji࢙-Du]and, & jelm, 2013).

tant studies hae been criঞcied =or hain] a narrow =ocus on the

direct e@ects o= such rro]rams (La]es & ont]omery, 200Ɣ; Leonidou

et al., 2011), with most =ocused on the role o= s in enhancin]

eivࢼng erorter rer=ormance (adot, ernandes, ourdon, & aoo,

201Ɣ; ansino, Lore-elendo, ablo-!omero, & S࢙nche-raa,

2013; Dझe-(ial & ern࢙nde-Olmos, 2014; rancis & ollins-Dodd,

2004; reianet, 2012; en2tুrh & otabe, 2001; Sousa & radley,

2009; Srence, 2003; Wilhinson & routhers, 200ѵ). What has not

been addressed in these studies is whether or not these rro]rams

could a@ect rre-erort acঞiঞes and moঞate nonerorঞn] Crms

to enter the erort business, a hey concern to rolicy-mahers.

Desrite recent studies aemrঞn] to looh at such a role (see, =or

eamrle, yob & reianet, 2014; ru, 2014), hey tuesঞons remain

oঞaঞm] mom;rort;rs to ]o abroa7Ĺ m;sঞ]aঞm] t_; roѴ;

o= ]o;rml;mt sbm] ;b7;mc; =rol a 7;;Ѵorbm] comtrŖ

o_al;7 +acbm; a77o71Պ|ՊaѴ om;s2Պ|Պ!ob;rt ;b;r3

1 lymouth usiness School, ast ouse,

lymouth, &nited in]dom

2 Internaঞonal enter =or $rans=ormaঞonal

ntrerreneurshir oentry &niersity,

oentry, &nited in]dom

3 ewcastle usiness School, ewcastle

&niersity, ewcastle, &nited in]dom

orr;srom7;mc;

ohamed +acine addoud, lymouth

usiness School, ast ouse, Drahe ircus,

L4 8, &.

mail: mohamed.haddoudŠrlymouth.ac.uh

* JL classiCcaঞon code: 23

Strategic Change. 2018;27(4):417–429. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jsc © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 417