Barriers to export management:an organizational and internationalization analysis

Abstract

The article focuses on barriers encountered by developing country-based manufacturing firms during ongoing export business operations. Using a sample of 100 Cyprus-based exporters, the study revealed that problems associated with export competitiveness had the greatest obstructing effect. Using principal component analysis, export barriers were classified into six conceptually meaningful categories. Overall, organizational parameters had a serious discriminating influence on the emerging barrier factors, especially those controllable by the firm, with company size, experience and backup networking exerting the most impact. Internationalization variables were generally less influential, with novice, intermittent, and passive exporters being more vulnerable to problems. A number of policy-making implications are derived from the study findings.