Export information use in small and medium‐sized industrial companies

Abstract

This study focuses on the use of export marketing information in small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs), an area that has previously attracted little academic research attention. It reports on the application of scales measuring instrumental/conceptual and symbolic export information use, using a random sample of UK exporters, to SME exporters of engineering and IT products. The results show that the scales are applicable within the specific context of the industrial SMEs surveyed and that levels of symbolic export information use are higher in these SMEs than in UK exporting companies as a whole. The latter is explained as a function of a shortfall in two areas: first, in available export marketing information, leading to greater dependence on "guesswork" and intuition; and second, in specialist marketing informationprocessing skills on the part of SME export decision makers. The article concludes by appealing for an extension of export support for SMEs, to include the use of export information as well as simply its acquisition. It suggests that the scales tested here could be used both to diagnose the need for such SME support and to measure its effectiveness.

Linking Processes and Dynamic Capabilities of International SMEs: The Mediating Effect of International Entrepreneurial Orientation

“…We define scanning as processes that intend to generate information relevant for decisionmaking in international markets (Zahra 1991), which may also be labeled as information acquisition (Williams 2003), intelligence generation as part of the market orientation construct (Jaworski and Kohli 1993), and acquisition of international market information as part of the export market orientation construct (Cadogan and Diamantopoulos 1995). Information acquisition relates to the process of searching and obtaining relevant information on customers, competitors, and environmental trends.…”

Micro-foundations of market orientation: Influencing non-marketing managers' customer information processing

“…Proximity is also essential for strong social integration and the development of a stronger sense of group identity (Scott, 1997). As distance breaks down the high frequency of interaction and the serendipity of communication, and the costs of using high bandwidth interaction modes (such as face-to-face meetings) increase, integration of information decreases (Hansen, 2002;Williams, 2003). Hence, Hypothesis 4b.…”

“…Previous empirical studies have demonstrated these two concepts to be very closely related: they form a one-dimensional construct of information use (Fisher et al, 1997;Williams, 2003), which is applied also in this study. Furthermore, these two dimensions reflect what Jaworski and Kohli (1993) define as response design (using market intelligence to develop plans) and response implementation (executing such plans).…”

“…Use of customer information 0.86 0.88 0.65 Reflective measure Based on Williams, 2003;Diamantopoulos and Souchon, 1999 Seven-point scale anchored by "strongly agree" (1) and "strongly disagree" (7) Customer information received from the contact persons often leads to practical action 0. Jayachandran et al, 2005 Seven-point scale anchored by "strongly agree" (1) and "strongly disagree" (7) I used many different sources to get all the customer information needed in my daily work 0.84 27.09 I actively searched for customer information from many different sources 0.93 39.50 I got customer information from many firm-external sources 0.78 19.66 I got customer information from many firm-internal sources a Appendix A. Construct measurement and confirmatory factor analysis results…”

The influence of export experience and export information use on export knowledge and performance

“…If all eight dimensions are used, the model cannot be easily utilized. On the other hand, it is possible that symbolic use of information in the setting of small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lacks the dysfunctional meaning that often is attributed to it in the context of larger firms [13]. Given the above considerations, only instrumental/ conceptual use of export market information has been used in this study.…”