Export information sources: The role of organizational and internationalization influences

Abstract

In drawing attention to certain important gaps in the exporting literature, this study empirically investigates the information source behaviour of exporting firms in the context of a small country – Cyprus. The research undertaken revealed a different picture from that found in the pertinent literature as to the usage incidence, frequency of use and level of importance of export information sources. It also confirmed the crucial role of personal and informal information sources in foreign business. Furthermore, a high incidence of usage is found not to lead necessarily to high levels of frequency and importance. However, the greater the importance attached to a specific source, the more often it is used. An analysis of the information source preferences according to a number of organizational and internationalization parameters revealed weak discriminating effects overall. The managerial and public policy implications of the study findings are discussed and future research directions identified. © 1997 Chapman & Hall.