This article draws on theories about the internationalization process of small– and medium–sized enterprises (SMEs) and feminist arguments to explain gender differences in export propensity. Findin...

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Gender and Export Propensity

Purpose – The main objective of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of high growth and rapid internationalization characteristics in terms of: empirically characterizing growth deriving the profile of high‐growth enterprises, exploring influential factors in high‐growth, pointing out the factors that stimulate internationalization, presenting the combined influence of these factors in both the high‐growth and early internationalizing enterprises, and formulating research‐based policy recommendation for longer and higher growth rates and for decreasing the chances of demise in such younger firmsDesign/methodology/approach – The authors have built a longitudinal sample of more than 1,140 micro, small and medium‐sized enterprises that have grown at exceptionally high rates for at least five years at the earlier stages of their life‐cycle, and even from inception in some cases The data‐base's origin is a popular Canadian business publication, the Canadian Business Magazine, which annually identi

Rapid growth and rapid internationalization: the case of smaller enterprises from Canada

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize the issues, challenges, and impediments coming in the way of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) internationalization in small developing nations of South Pacific like Fiji and Samoa.Design/methodology/approach – The paper encompasses both quantitative and qualitative data. Analyses of antecedents are descriptive in nature, while establishing the relationship between intervening variables and outcomes are quantitative. For quantitative data, structured questionnaires are used, while for the collection of qualitative data, archival and library research methods are employed. Structured questionnaire is used to collect data from 118 and 78 sampled respondents in Fiji and Samoa, respectively, and statistical analysis is performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences package.Findings – These research findings pinpoint that the problem lies in evaluating the nature of issues affecting internationalization of SMEs. The results also show tha...

Issues faced by SMEs in the internationalization process: results from Fiji and Samoa

This article scrutinizes the challenges and impediments in the South Pacific context particularly in a small developing nation like Fiji and the research problem pinpoints that the problem lies in evaluating the nature of issues affecting internationalization of SMEs. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 118 SMEs in Fiji. The research that has been conducted in the past was mostly confined to Asian countries, with very little in the area of SME internationalization and its impediments. Therefore, this research should seek to bring to the attention of policy makers the major obstructions and how these can be conquered and should even further set the impetus for further research in this area. (116 words)

Internationalization of SMEs: a challenge for Fiji

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Financing Canadian SME Exporters

Provides a statistical profile of Canadian smallbusiness exporters for the years 2000-2002, with data drawn from theExporter Registry and Statistics Canada’s Business Register. Thereport establishes new baseline information in order toprovide a basisfor policy development to foster small business exports. The principal findingis that, although small businesses individually export much less than largefirms, because of the large number of SMEs the value of their exports intotalis significant at 20 percent. Presents data on the number of exporters and impact of small exporterscompared with large ones. Of 35,594 exporters, 84 percent were smallbusinesses. The majority (78 percent) exported less from $1 million (Canadian$) annually. Also examines small business exporters by annual export value andanalyses their contribution to the overall value of exports.In 2002the total value of exports was $343 billion, of which small businessescontributed 20 percent. Data is also presentedon thevalue of exports by province,industry, and export destination. The largest exporters were Ontario andmanufacturing; the major destination was the United States. A comparisonof exports in Canada and the U.S. is given; Canadian and U.S. exportpatternsare very similar, except that Canadian exporters are more activeinternationally. Observations on the profiles and impact of small business exporters aregiven, as are barriers and economies of scale that mayhinder smallbusiness exporters. Suggests public policy be tailored towards the special needof small firms in order toincrease their export activity. (TNM)

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David Halabisky

Papers

Small Business Exporters: A Canadian Profile