دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی اثربخشی سیاست دولت برای ارتقاء صادرات بر عملکرد صادرات SMEs صادر کنندگان کاکائو - امرالد 2018

Abstract

Purpose - This research examines the significance of the direct and indirect effects (through country and firm’s specific advantages) of government policies for export promotion (GPEP) on the export performance of SME Cocoa exporters in Cameroon. Design/methodology/approach – To test the proposed model, was data obtained through selfadministered questionnaires using snowball sampling technique to 101 SME Cocoa exporters. This was analysed using structural equation modelling techniques to examine both the direct and indirect effects of GPEP on the export performance of SME Cocoa exporters in the South and Centre Regions of Cameroon. Findings – The findings suggest that GPEP had both direct and indirect effects on the export performance of SME Cocoa exporters. Direct effect was on the usage of GPEP which reduces operating cost and increase performance. The indirect effects were through the provision of country and firms specific advantages. However, the only significant path was through the provision of export marketing information. Research limitations/Implications – The research is limited to one country, one sector, and two regions and does not take into consideration other factors that may influence the effect of GPEP, country, and firms specific advantages on export performance. Moreover, the non-significant paths should be interpreted with caution and further testing required in a different context. Practical implications - Empirical findings are relevant for the government and SME Cocoa exporters. It informs the government about the effectiveness of GPEP and the need to disseminate marketing information using every possible medium best understood by the SMEs. It suggests an opportunity for engagement of both SMEs and government authorities in accessing the outcome of GPEP which will increase transparency, awareness, usage and export performance. Originality/Value – The research has successfully developed and tested a model for analysing the direct and indirect effects of GPEP on export performance based on the RBV and SEM in a context where there is a call for more empirical and theoretical work on export performance due to limited studies. The framework reveals positive effects of GPEP, country, and firms’ specific advantages as determinants of export performance.

Discussion and Conclusion

This research makes two important contributions to the literature on international marketing. First, by answering the research questions, it contributes to the recent debate in international marketing in a sector (Cocoa sector) that is unique to Cameroon. This uniqueness is because Cocoa exporting in Cameroon was under the monopoly of the government controlled marketing board from independence in the 1060s to the 1990s (Coulter and Abena, 2010). Privatisation in the early 1990s saw the growth of SME Cocoa exporters in Cameroon. Drawing from previous studies on GPEP, this research has provided evidence of the nature of these programs on the export performance of SME Cocoa exporters in Cameroon by looking at the direct and indirect effects. The research shows positive direct and indirect effects through country and firms specific advantages of GPEP on export performance of SME Cocoa exporters. However, the only positive and significant relationship were through export marketing information. Nevertheless, the positive effects show the impact GPEP may have on export performance as supported by Jindal and Gakhar (2013); Wilkinson and Brouthers (2006); Francis and Collins-Dodd (2004). This contribution also differs from previous studies by looking at a different context and sector which have been called for by Francis and Collind-Dodd (2004) and more work on African countries by Jeike et al., (2016).