Export promotion programmes and SMEs’ performance: Exploring the network promotion role

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the network promotion role of export promotion programmes in driving small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) export performance. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on a dual institutional and network-based approaches to internationalisation, the study tests an integrative model that explores the mediating role of SMEs’ relationships in the link between government export promotion programmes (both informational and experiential forms) and export performance. The model was tested using a sample of 160 UK small and medium exporter firms. The data were analysed through a structural equation modelling technique. Findings: The study finds that whilst both informational and experiential export promotion programmes improved all forms of SMEs’ relationships, only experiential forms had an indirect effect on export performance. Further, only relationships with foreign buyers had a positive impact on export performance. Research limitations/implications: The results of this research provide directions for export promotion organisations in targeting their network support provision and for SMEs in utilising such a support. The study calls for similar research in different contexts to validate the proposed model. Originality/value: This study brings novel findings to the extant literature by conceptualising and validating the importance of the “network promotion” element of export promotion programmes

Investigating the moderating role of Export Promotion Programmes using evidence from North-Africa

PurposeBased on an institutional approach to explaining firms’ internationalisation, this paper aims to empirically investigate the role of Export Promotion Programmes (EPPs) in moderating the influence of export barriers perceptions on small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) propensity to export.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses evidence from Algeria, the largest North-African country. The data were collected using an online questionnaire, targeting SMEs operating in the manufacturing sector. The study considers the influence of procedural, informational, environmental and functional barriers on export propensity, to uncover the moderating role of trade missions, trade shows and export seminars and workshops on such relationships. To examine these links, five main hypotheses are proposed and tested through a non-linear partial least squares structural equation modelling on a sample of 128 Algerian SMEs.FindingsThe results show that while internal barriers decrease firms’ export propensity, EPPs including trade fairs and shows may independently pose either a positive or negative influence on such relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThe study confirms the applicability of the institutional perspective to explaining firms’ internationalisation. More importantly, the present study highlights the role of EPPs in moderating the influence of export barriers perceptions on SMEs’ international market entry, a role neglected by the extant empirical literature.Practical implicationsThe current findings hold important implications to export promotion organisations operating in African countries. Notably, the results reveal that some programmes could have a negative influence if they are not delivered appropriately.Originality/valueThis study offers a rare focus on the moderating role of EPPs in the relationship between export barriers and export propensity, within the setting of a North-African country

SIMULATION DU COMPORTEMENT DES ECOULEMENTS D'EAU EN UTILISANT LE RESEAU HYDROLOGIQUE D'UN BASSIN VERSANT : CAS DE L ´OUED BENIMESSOUS, ALGÉRIE

International audienceAlgeria, vast country, known for its mountain chains is confronted with problems related to runoff, strong rivers flow and flooding in depressions zones. One of the most important aspects for the management of water resources is the good knowledge about the hydrographic network. In this context, the work presented is a contribution for a methodological approach using satellite image data for the generation of Digital Terrain Models (DTM) and the extraction of hydrological networks parameters. We have applied this methodology in a study of the Oued Benimessous drainage area located to the west of Algiers(the capital).In the first step, we have developed an Interferometric processor for the generation of a DTM from a radar image couple of ERS1 / 2 tandem data set and we calculated geomorphometry parameters. For the description of the water runoff we determined, in the second step, flow map directions using the D8 model, local and global drainage and the hydrological network. Also, we have proposed, a simulation of different weather situations by changing precipitation water quantities.L'Algérie, pays vaste, connu pour ses chaînes montagneuses est confronté aux problèmes des écoulements et des ruissellements des cours d'eau et d'accumulation des eaux dans les zones à fortes dépressions. Un des aspects les plus importants dans la gestion des ressources en eau est le réseau hydrographique des différentes régions. Dans ce contexte, le travail que nous présentons est une contribution dans une démarche méthodologique de traitement des images satellitaires et d'extraction de réseaux hydrologiques des bassins versants à partir de Modèles Numériques de Terrain (MNT). Nous l'avons appliquée sur une région située à l'Ouest d'Alger (la capitale) et nous nous sommes intéressés, à l'aspect applicatif de cette méthodologie pour l'étude du bassin versant de Oued Benimessous situé dans cette région. Dans la première étape, nous avons développé un processus interférométrique de génération de MNT à partir d'un couple d'images radar ERS1/2 en tandem puis nous avons calculé les paramètres de géomorphométrie. Pour la description du comportement des écoulements d'eau, nous avons déterminé, dans la deuxième étape, la carte des directions d'écoulement selon le modèle D8, la carte de drainage local et global ainsi que le réseau hydrologique. Nous avons proposé ensuite, une procédure de simulation avec différentes situations en modifiant la quantité d'eau des précipitations

Export intention in developing countries: A configuration approach to managerial success factors

What drives small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) to enter export markets? This study introduces a configuration approach using a fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis to show that, contrary to previous findings, export intention does not depend on any one managerial characteristic, but rather on the interplay of these attributes. Using a sample of 180 Algerian non‐exporters, findings suggest that firms’ export intention is determined by two distinct combinations of managerial attributes, namely: (export perception*entrepreneurial orientation) and (export perception*international orientation*foreign knowledge*Age). In line with the emerging resource orchestration view, such findings hold significant implications for both theory and practice

The impact of entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and gender on entrepreneurial intentions of university students in the Visegrad countries

This paper investigates whether entrepreneurial education (EE) contributes to the entrepreneurial intentions (EI) of university students in the Visegrád countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia). The results show several differences with regard to the impact of education and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) on entrepreneurial intentions across the four nations. The direct impact of entrepreneurship education was positive and significant in only one country, Poland, the only of the four countries to have introduced entrepreneurship education at high-school level. Additionally, an indirect influence of EE on EI was uncovered. Using a multi-construct approach to ESE, the research proves that ESEs related to searching, planning and marshalling activities mediate the impact of entrepreneurial education on intentions, although these effects differ across the studied countries. Lastly, a gender comparison indicates that although women generally have lower entrepreneurial intentions and display lower levels of ESE they benefit more than men do from entrepreneurship education

Investigating the moderating role of Export Promotion Programmes using evidence from North-Africa

Purpose Based on an institutional approach to explaining firms’ internationalisation, this paper aims to empirically investigate the role of Export Promotion Programmes (EPPs) in moderating the influence of export barriers perceptions on small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) propensity to export. Design/methodology/approach The study uses evidence from Algeria, the largest North-African country. The data were collected using an online questionnaire, targeting SMEs operating in the manufacturing sector. The study considers the influence of procedural, informational, environmental and functional barriers on export propensity, to uncover the moderating role of trade missions, trade shows and export seminars and workshops on such relationships. To examine these links, five main hypotheses are proposed and tested through a non-linear partial least squares structural equation modelling on a sample of 128 Algerian SMEs. Findings The results show that while internal barriers decrease firms’ export propensity, EPPs including trade fairs and shows may independently pose either a positive or negative influence on such relationships. Research limitations/implications The study confirms the applicability of the institutional perspective to explaining firms’ internationalisation. More importantly, the present study highlights the role of EPPs in moderating the influence of export barriers perceptions on SMEs’ international market entry, a role neglected by the extant empirical literature. Practical implications The current findings hold important implications to export promotion organisations operating in African countries. Notably, the results reveal that some programmes could have a negative influence if they are not delivered appropriately. Originality/value This study offers a rare focus on the moderating role of EPPs in the relationship between export barriers and export propensity, within the setting of a North-African country

The Root Cause of Perceived Appraisal Politics Using Evidence from the South Korean Public Sector

The purpose of this study is to investigate the root causes of Perceived Appraisal Politics (PAP) within the public sector in South Korea. Scholars in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) have identified the determinants of PAP in an effort to mitigate it. However, the complex interactions among those determinants and root causes have been overlooked. Therefore, we adopt a novel methodology in this study that combines Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) and fuzzy-Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (f-DEMATEL). The findings indicate that the root causes of PAP include the presence of cliques, ambiguity of appraisal policies and goal ambiguity within organisations. Among these, cliques and goal ambiguity emerge as the most crucial factors, exerting a strong impact not only on PAP itself but also on other relevant determinants. This study constitutes one of the first attempts to combine ISM and f-DEMATEL techniques for PAP. The results provide a foundation for understanding the comprehensive outline in relation to the determinants of PAP. Human Resource (HR) practitioners in the South Korean public sector can refer to our findings to establish an effective strategy to curtail PAP for inclusive and impartial appraisal systems

Government Export Promotion Programmes and Firms’ Export Behaviour: Exploring the Indirect Link. The Case of UK & Algerian Manufacturing Firms

It has been recognised that exporting is an engine for growth at both country and firm levels. However, the challenging nature of international business often prevents companies from entering and surviving in international markets. In the Small and Medium-size Business context, lack of resource is normally the main reason behind the inability of firms to overcome export barriers. In recognition of the issue and for promoting exporting, the governments have been offering the so-called Government Export Promotion Programmes (GEPPs) to act as “resource supplements”. While there have been extensive practices, the mechanism and effectiveness of these programmes have not been thoroughly explored and analysed. In some academic studies, criticisms and doubts about these programmes have been raised. Against this background, the thesis investigates the working mechanism of these programmes and tests their effectiveness in terms of export initiation, performance and regularity. Using an extended version of the Resource Based View, two integrative and comprehensive conceptual models are developed in order to reveal the indirect impacts of GEPPs on export behaviour. The models are then tested with a total of 495 completed questionnaires collected from two sample countries; namely, Algeria and the UK. These were analysed through a multivariate analysis using a variance-based statistical technique known as Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The findings of this thesis are two-fold. First, with respect to the critical resources affecting export behaviour, the study finds that while both Algerian and UK firms’export intention are affected by management resources only, firms’ export performance and regularity are instead mainly influenced by management and organisational resources in the UK and management and relational resources in Algeria. Second, regarding the impact of GEPPs on export intention, the study confirms its indirect nature through the management resources in both countries. However, when it comes to their effect on export performance and regularity, the indirect effect was only established in the UK and mainly through management and organisational resources. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications in that the results have provided empirical evidence on the indirect impact of GEPPs and can serve as an indication in practice for both firm managers and policy makers in deploying key resources for different stages of internationalisation.Plymouth Universit

The price of everything, and the value of nothing? Stories of contribution in entrepreneurship research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report findings from the first stage of a study that focusses on research in the domain of entrepreneurship as a process of knowledge creation and exchange. It seeks to discover what entrepreneurship scholars really believe that they contribute. Focusses on the entrepreneurship academic community and examine two issues: the value scholars perceive, in terms of both how an individuals’ work can be seen to be a contribution to knowledge, and what “contribution to knowledge” means to the individual researcher. Design/methodology/approach The authors employ a qualitative approach within which 20 entrepreneurship professors were asked to complete a semi structured research instrument to express their opinions on the value of the authors’ research and the extent to which the authors’ work contribute to knowledge and practice. The sample was drawn from full entrepreneurship professors from the UK, USA, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Findings Suggest that entrepreneurship scholars publish for a plurality of reasons including personal fulfilment, interest, and necessity. It was also noted that the motivations for academic scholarship have changed with increased internal and external pressures and a drive to publish in certain journals. Research limitations/implications This is a novel study not undertaken previously in the entrepreneurship discipline. The results will inform research practices within the entrepreneurship discipline and represent the basis for an ongoing large scale global quantitative study of the entrepreneurship discipline. Originality/value The outcomes of this research inform higher education stakeholders in the construction of valid research strategies thus providing a suitable impact upon academia and society. It provides an initial insight into drivers for academic research within the entrepreneurship discipline, and the opportunities, challenges and paradoxes which various approaches to research contribution entail

The role of inspiring role models in enhancing entrepreneurial intention

No embargo required