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Strategies in Exporting Firms: A Study of Australian Small to Medium Enterprises Exporting to Asia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Peter J Dowling*
Affiliation:
School of Management, University of Tasmania
Peter W Liesch
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Management, The University of Queensland
Jaqueline A Flint
Affiliation:
Faculty of the Central Coast, University of Newcastle
Sharif N As-Saber
Affiliation:
School of Management, University of Tasmania
Kwong Chan
Affiliation:
School of Management, University of Tasmania
Peter A Innes
Affiliation:
School of Management, University of Tasmania
*
School of Management, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1-316, Launceston TAS 7250, Tel: +61 3 6324 3569, Fax: + 61 3 6324 3100, Email: [email protected]

Abstract

The focus of the present paper is to examine the strategy use in Australian small and medium enterprises exporting to Asia. A selection of strategic issues is examined in order to identify their relative importance to a firm's exporting activities. No attempt is made to establish a causal linkage between strategy and export performance. Rather, the paper attempts to appraise the level of importance of various strategic factors that are often dealt with by an exporting firm. The study was conducted with an expectation of assisting future research endeavours into the relevance of strategies to export-performance. A set of impediments and the extent of their negativity on the exporting activities have also been considered, the understanding of which may help a firm in achieving appropriate strategic direction. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in an attempt to capture the intricacies and challenges of using strategies in a cross-cultural environment.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2000

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Footnotes

*

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Australian Research Council that provided the funding for this study

References

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