Internationalization of Companies from Developing Countries

Explore new international economic and business trends and how your firm can benefit from them!Internationalization of Companies from Developing Countries provides marketing and economic researchers and students with both theoretical and empirical insights into the motives, methods, and processes of internationalization of firms in the developing countries of Africa. Full of current facts and data, this informative book explores how government policies shape a country's strategies for global competitiveness. The book also discusses motives of internationalization, approaches to market analysis and market knowledge acquisition, and domestic and foreign interfirm relations. Informative and intelligent, Internationalization of Companies from Developing Countries offers you a unique conceptual framework for analyzing and understanding the internationalization process of successful Ghanaian firms and how these principles can be applied to other businesses in developing countries. This unique book will assist you in keeping current with the dynamics of the international market by supplying you with important guidelines and suggestions. It covers: the limitations of contemporary theories that explain the process of internationalization and export development how companies from a developing country become integrated in the global economy how governments can support the internationalization process three prototype orientations of management decisionmaking: planning orientation, action orientation, and network orientation various ways of entering and developing a foreign market the concepts of relationship and interaction as they pertain to international business, especially the relationships between government institutions and corporations Comprehensive and concise, this valuable book fills a void in the current literature about internationalization in developing countries, especially in Africa. Internationalization of Companies from Developing Countries will help you establish productive business relationships and improve the position of your company and its partners in today's global arena.

Table of Contents:
Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction Background Structure of the Study Part I. Internationalization Theories and Issues of Developing Country Firms Chapter 1. Theories and Models of Internationalization Categorization of Theories of Internationalization The Stages Models The Contingency Models The (Inter)Action Models Summary Chapter 2. International Market Information Acquisition and Knowledge Generation Establishing the Relevance of Knowledge Generation and Accumulation Theories of Market Knowledge Generation Summary Chapter 3. Internationalization Motives and Market Selection Decisions A Review of Contemporary Studies on Export Motives Some Critical Reflections on the Existing Studies International Market Selection Decisions Summary Chapter 4. Choice of Entry Mode and Organization of International Operations Theories of Market Entry and Development Modes Choosing Market Entry and Development Modes Summary Chapter 5. Relationships and Interaction Within the Domestic Economy and Across Borders Theories of Relationships and Interaction Summary Chapter 6. Internationalization in Developing Countries Marketing and Development Applicability of Internationalization Theories and Models to Developing Countries Key Issues of Internationalization from a Developing Country Perspective Summary Part II: Empirical Evidence Chapter 7. Ghana: Country Profile and Setting for the Empirical Study Export Sector Development Policy in Ghana Key Economic Sectors Research Design and Data Collection Summary Chapter 8. Profile of the Firms and Their Management Background and Operational History of the Firms Firm Size and Product Lines Ownership Structure and Management Demographic Profile of the Proprietors and Managers Summary Chapter 9. Initial Export Decisions and Their Underlying Motives Export History of the Firms Export Motives Export Reexamined Summary Chapter 10. Market Knowledge Generation, Market Selection, and Entry Mode Decisions of Ghanaian Firms Market Information and Approaches to Market Knowledge Acquisition Choice of Markets Exporters' Perceptions of the Selected Markets Channel Decisions and Entry Strategies Market Spread and Growth Potentials Summary Chapter 11. Assessment of the Institutional Context of Export Businesses An Overview of the Institutional Context Promotional Institutions Facilitatory Institutions Regulatory Institutions Perceived Problems and Coping Strategies in Export Business Summary Part III: Reassessment of Internationalization Theories Chapter 12. The Context and Approaches to the Internationalization of Firms in Developing Countries Context of Business Development and Internationalization Approaches to the Internationalization of Firms in Developing Countries Internationalization and the Institutional Context Summary Chapter 13. Exploring the Internationalization Process of Developing Country Firms: Policies, Strategies, and Research Agenda Overview of the Theoretical Discussion Highlights of the Empirical Results Policy and Strategy Implications Directions for Further Studies Conclusions Appendix A: Dominant Contingency Models of Internationalization Appendix B: Firms That Participated in the Study Appendix C: Product Associations in Operation as of December 1995 Appendix D: Survey Questionnaire Notes Bibliography Index Reference Notes Included