Export Information: an Investigation Into the Use of Sources of Export Information

Abstract

The formation of regional trade blocs, the political and economic changes occurring in the East European countries and the former Soviet Union, the structural adjustments being implemented in developing countries and the signing of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs are changes that are bound to have significant impact on international business. These changes open up unprecedented competition in both domestic and foreign markets. Exporting is one of the major methods of conducting

international business. It is therefore more pressing than ever to understand all factors that influence exporting. This paper reports results of a study which aimed at

determining the association between use of export information source, and source attributes and firm characteristics. An auxiliary purpose of the study was to test McAuley's (1992) Export Assistance Model and subsequently -attempt to design an intra- organizational export information delivery structure through which exporters could be supplied with appropriate information efficiently and effectively. The findings of the study are that source attributes as well as firm characteristics do influence use of sources. McAuley's (1992) Export Assistance Model is partially supported by data from the Ontario context.