Murat Hakan Altıntaş, Tuncer Tokol and Talha Harcar
Purpose – As a key crucial point, this study aims to examine the relationship between export barriers and the perceived export performance of Turkish SME's. …
Abstract
Purpose – As a key crucial point, this study aims to examine the relationship between export barriers and the perceived export performance of Turkish SME's. Design/methodology/approach – Major export barriers perceived by SMEs in Turkey are identified and, subsequently, the relationship between export barriers and export performance are examined. A web‐based questionnaire method was conducted among 2,000 SMEs that listed export associations with 7.25 percent response rate. The empirical analysis was conducted in two phases. The first step was to perform an exploratory factor analysis to 20 export barriers. The second step was to run a structural equation model to determine which barrier groups have a greater effect on perceived export performance. Findings – The findings suggest that procedural barriers and competition in foreign markets have the most effective impact on export performance. Both structures have negative effects as expected. In other words, as the procedural and competition barriers decrease, export performance also increases. Research limitations/implications – First of all, not all export barriers that might affect export performance were examined. Another limitation is that, the data obtained related to a very specific period. Export performance was measured by only subjective method with Likert scale. In the context of future research, export barriers of the Turkish exporters in relation to individual countries of origin should be investigated. Practical implications – The analysis of exporting problems on the basis of firm differences between domestic and foreign markets, procedural barriers, internal inefficiency barriers, competition and governmental barriers can provide both corporate and public policy makers with valuable guidelines for the formulation of suitable export marketing strategies and national export assistance programs respectively Originality/value – This study generally confirms the literature, but comes to some original further conclusions, based on export barriers of Turkish exporters.
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Murat Hakan Altintaş and Tuncer Tokol
To examine the antecedents of consumer ethnocentrism, specifically with respect to Turkish consumers' attitudes to products originating in Europe.
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the antecedents of consumer ethnocentrism, specifically with respect to Turkish consumers' attitudes to products originating in Europe.
Design/methodology/approach
Antecedents identified from the literature are allocated to one of three main constructs: xenophobia, negative attitudes towards foreigners (not the same phenomenon, it is argued) and conservatism. A web‐based questionnaire is developed, tested and successfully administered to a national sample of 540 individuals with e‐mail accounts. Consumer ethnocentrism is measured by the well‐tested CETSCALE. Results are analyzed by structural equation modelling, a path diagram generated and six hypotheses tested.
Findings
All but one of the hypotheses were accepted. Xenophobia is found to have the greatest influence consumer ethnocentrism among Turkish consumers, and is also a leading factor in the interactions among the antecedents. Conservatism is the second‐most influential element of the model.
Research limitations/implications
Other antecedents might have been identified and added to the conceptual framework. The timeframe of data collection was very specific. The large sample size and its apparent representativeness encourage confident generalisation of the findings, though the concept of “Europe” could usefully be refined to specific countries in future studies.
Practical implications
International marketers now have clear evidence that xenophobia and conservatism are important antecedents of consumer ethnocentrism, and should plan their intelligence gathering and campaign strategy accordingly.
Originality/value
This study both supports and adds to the existing literature. The findings clearly impinge on the somewhat separate literature of country‐of‐origin effects and branding.