Different Approaches to Foreign Market Entry between Users and Non-Users of Trade Missions.

Management's decision to involve the firm in export markets heightens the need for information, knowledge and expertise. Awareness of these needs, which are relatively greater in small and medium-sized firms than larger firms, is a function of management's perspective. Part of such perspective is the recognition of the potential importance of externally available sources of such know-how, in the form of information and experience. The acquisition of this know-how is influenced by management's orientation and information search and use behaviour[1,2]. As the lack of information and experience is a critical problem for export management[3-6], access thereto is of considerable importance. Among the broad range of export support services offered by government and other institutions in many exporting nations, trade missions seem particularly well-suited to a firm beginning foreign market involvement. They combine several important export marketing facets such as first-hand assessment of market opportunities, establishment of direct contacts and a high profile in a target market, assistance in seeking representation or indeed prospective customers, experience exchange with other participants: in sum, a learning experience in export marketing. As these aspects are associated with a firm's early export involvement, trade missions appear to be an appropriate and potentially useful export marketing stimulator[5,7,8]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]