Exporting Barriers and the Internationalisation of Manufacturing Activities of SMEs in Jordan
This thesis focus is on the issue of export performance and its determinants among small and medium-sized indigenous firms in Jordan. Export marketing activities are of vital importance to the survival and growth of Jordanian companies. This is ascribed to the relatively small local market size and to the country's gradual shift from heavy reliance on import substitution strategies in the last two decades to contemporary export orientation. Also, many economists are calling for an urgent action plan to correct the situation of "Deficit in trade balance" in Jordanian economy. The action plan needs to discuss what causes or prevents Jordanian firms from exporting. Although the literature has recorded some discussions on internationalisation of firms in developed countries, there is a paucity of internationalisation efforts from manufacturing firms in developing countries. By investigating the exporting barriers that Jordanian manufacturers face when engaging in international business, this study enriches the body of knowledge on internationalisation of manufacturing firms in developing countries. It offers guidance for future research in a field of research that is still in its infancy. The theoretical foundations of the study are based on the internationalisation processes literature, export and exporting barriers literature, and the export performance literature. From this literature, research hypotheses, questions, and a conceptual framework were developed incorporating four research concept groups. The study shows that there is high similarity between the export barriers faced by manufacturing firms in developed and developing countries. Also, it shows that the concept groups related to firm and managerial characteristics and the perception of exporting barriers are very much linked in different ways to export performance of SMEs in Jordan, and these findings are in agreement with literature review.
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