Thesis (MTech (Marketing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008 / The opening ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games displayed a historical tapestry of Chinese culture to the world. At the same time, the 2008 Games presented new opportunities for Chinese people to experience aspects of the outside world, which may have previously been closed to them. Aquatic sport is one such example, especially recreational sailing and yachting, which are novel concepts within Chinese society. Given China’s rapid economic growth, this burgeoning market has potential for South African exporters, including the recreational marine sector. However, South African manufacturers have not promoted their products, many of which are of a high standard, in this market. Are there barriers, which may prevent successful exports of marine products to China? Would a deeper understanding of China’s unique business culture assist the local boatbuilding industry to successfully present their products in China? The purpose of this study is to assist South African boat builders to expand their business operations in China by developing guidelines for marketing strategy formulation. The entire research study shows that there are indeed opportunities to market boats in China, while the market is mainly located in coastal cities. The research reviewed South African trade with China, successful entry of South African companies into the Chinese market, and shows that potential does exist for penetration of the Chinese market by South African marine industries. Based on a further review of the internal marketing environment in China, it is established that a unique feature of Chinese business culture, termed Guanxi, might be a major barrier for penetration of the Chinese boat market by the South African marine industry.

My thesis was designed to further assess the impacts of introduction of the euro in Czech Republic on exporters with a closer focus on foreign currency risk and the possibility of its elimination.

The target of this thesis is to design a website which enables its visitors a slightly different approach when searching information about the selected countries, compared to websites of similar orientation. The main asset of the website would be to allow the selection of thematic information (transport, culture, food, trade, etc.), giving the user a clue in the search for the countries where he would like to travel to. (or just find some interesting information about them) It should be also possible to filter and sort the available information accordingly by prearranged criteria, which should allow the visitor to get slightly different perspective over the issue. One of the main features is the contribution of users themselves to co-create the website, for which the registration system will be adapted to. The system will distinguish several levels of users with different permissions to access various sections of the website and to manage its content. It should be possible to edit the data through the web interface, which should provide sufficient variability for a complete content management. The website solution should be created for the users as intuitively as possible without any unnecessary barriers that would prevent users from comfortable and effective use of the website.

Exporting is a popular mode of internationalisation for a variety of reasons. For instance, many enterprises prefer exporting because it permits them to learn from competition with minimum resources committed by the enterprise. However, it is noted in literature that enterprises face various constraints when exporting. Earlier studies, mostly conducted in developed countries, have documented several exporting constraints. The studies do not agree on the grouping of factors constraining exporting and elements that form such groupings. Also, it is acknowledged in literature that generalising findings from developed countries to developing countries would not necessarily be appropriate, hence studies in developing countries such as Lesotho are necessary and, to the researcher’s knowledge, this study is the first to be conducted in Lesotho. This formal study, therefore, was carried out to test the hypotheses developed from literature regarding factors that constrain exporting. Lesotho is land locked, being completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is believed that Lesotho’s setting can bring insights into exporting as the country becomes a popular destination for export-oriented investors. Although enterprises operating in Lesotho had been exporting prior to 2000, there was a major boost of exports at the beginning of 2000 when Lesotho became eligible for exports to the United States, Canada and European markets under the agreement in the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA). The AGOA agreement brought a flow of Asian export-oriented investors into Lesotho. Lesotho’s exports are concentrated in the apparel and textile industries and are destined to a few countries, predominantly South Africa and the United States. The literature review covers the globalisation of the business environment. Further, the international entry modes are discussed along with the theories that explain the decision of the enterprises to initiate the internationalisation process. Finally, the exporting mode of internationalisation is discussed detailing the constraints that enterprises face when engaging in exporting. A questionnaire was used to collect data. The instrument first underwent a rigorous evaluation by experts who are knowledgeable about the subject. The experts proposed changes that were adopted prior to conducting a pilot study. A judgemental sampling approach was used where manufacturing enterprises located in seven of ten industrial areas in Lesotho, who agreed to participate in the study, were issued one questionnaire each. The questionnaires were distributed to key informants who were regarded as managers directly responsible for international operations. Alternatively, chief executive officers were approached in situations where enterprises did not employ international operation’s managers. A response rate of 94.7 percent was obtained. The study revealed that exporting constraints are internal to the enterprises and that three factors, as opposed to the five that were hypothesised, constrain exporting. The study further revealed that perceived exporting constraints varied according to the size of the enterprise as well as the ownership structure thereof. Recommendations were made relating to actions aimed at minimizing exporting constraints. Lastly, future areas of research were identified. The study will be beneficial to enterprises as they will be able to adopt suitable measures to overcome or reduce the impact of exporting constraints. Also, the study will inform policy makers in Lesotho with regards to areas where appropriate assistance should be provided. In addition, the study would inform business educators regarding areas of training for exporters, which will address the training needs of exporters. Lastly, researchers interested in exporting will find other avenues that can be researched in order to build the field of exporting. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / am2013 / Business Management / unrestricted

In this thesis I capture the effect of oil prices on the economic growth of net oil exporters and net oil importers of the world. The existing literature on this topic only covers some parts of the world, major oil exporters and oil importers and some covers only a single country. So, in this work I take a larger set of countries and enlarge the time period. This work covers the time period 1972-2021. The effect is examined by using the pooled OLS and two way fixed effect. I get significant results for both the net oil exporters and net oil importers. The results of both net oil exporters and net oil importers are significantly different from zero. But these results are opposite from the existing literature. I found that an increase in oil price has a negative impact on the economic growth of net oil exporters, but it has a positive effect on the economic growth of net oil importers. So, these results also do not support the theoretical and empirical literature.

Export-led growth is important for a number of reasons. At a macro-economic level, it can create profit, allowing a country to balance its finances and manage its debt. Export-led growth can also lead to higher productivity and job creation. At a micro-economic level, exports and export-led growth lead to higher competitiveness and business growth. From an exporter’s perspective, however, participation in the global economy and export to new foreign markets bring with them the challenge of acquiring the required knowledge of an unknown market. Relevant information gathered has to be subjected to analysis and interpretation before it can be applied to strategic business decisions regarding the company and its market. This study proposes that Competitive Intelligence (CI) be used as an instrument to determine the types of export information that exporters require, as it focuses on exporters’ information requirements and enhances their competitiveness. The increasingly competitive business environment places increasing demands on Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) to make better use of resources available in order to tailor products and services to the needs of exporters. TPOs are amongst the main sources of information and export assistance for exporters. Other export information sources include publications and a variety of human sources. The assistance of TPOs can take the form of various export-promotion instruments, such as market research, trade fairs and business introductions. TPOs face various challenges, including that of scarce resources. Therefore, such resources must be utilised optimally and in order to achieve efficiency, Realistic Export Opportunities (REOs) need to be prioritised. This study stresses the importance of export diversification and the export of manufactured goods. Export diversification brings its own challenges including the question of which products to promote for export. The application of a Decision Support Model developed by Cuyvers et al. (1995:173) for South Africa identified a number of REOs. Amongst these was the export of South Africanmanufactured extruders to Tunisia. Against the background of the importance of export growth, the types of information that exporters use and the sources of such information were determined by means of a survey of extruder manufacturers, TPOs and users of extruders. With the export potential of extruders to Tunisia as an REO as focus, a market study was conducted using the case study research method. Results of the survey indicate that the only type of information that extruder manufacturers as potential new exporters in South Africa seek on a continuous basis is competitor information, specifically pricing information. However, the findings indicate that this is not typically the type of information supplied by TPOs in South Africa. Furthermore there is no evidence that extruder manufacturers have processes in place to monitor markets and competitors, or to identify key types of information. Concerning the case study, it was found that there is indeed a potential market for extruders in Tunisia and that the industries in which extruders are typically used are significant and growing. It was however also found that there are high trade barriers and high market concentration. Therefore, in terms of an export-promotion strategy for TPOs, an offensive exportpromotion strategy is proposed. In terms of further research, this study points to a need for research of this nature to extend to the wider capital equipment industry. It is further recommended that market profiles of the markets that show the most potential for specific products produced and manufactured in South Africa as evident from the results of Rossouw, Steenkamp, Viviers and Cuyvers (2010) be compiled. / Thesis (Ph.D. (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Export-led growth is important for a number of reasons. At a macro-economic level, it can create profit, allowing a country to balance its finances and manage its debt. Export-led growth can also lead to higher productivity and job creation. At a micro-economic level, exports and export-led growth lead to higher competitiveness and business growth. From an exporter’s perspective, however, participation in the global economy and export to new foreign markets bring with them the challenge of acquiring the required knowledge of an unknown market. Relevant information gathered has to be subjected to analysis and interpretation before it can be applied to strategic business decisions regarding the company and its market. This study proposes that Competitive Intelligence (CI) be used as an instrument to determine the types of export information that exporters require, as it focuses on exporters’ information requirements and enhances their competitiveness. The increasingly competitive business environment places increasing demands on Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) to make better use of resources available in order to tailor products and services to the needs of exporters. TPOs are amongst the main sources of information and export assistance for exporters. Other export information sources include publications and a variety of human sources. The assistance of TPOs can take the form of various export-promotion instruments, such as market research, trade fairs and business introductions. TPOs face various challenges, including that of scarce resources. Therefore, such resources must be utilised optimally and in order to achieve efficiency, Realistic Export Opportunities (REOs) need to be prioritised. This study stresses the importance of export diversification and the export of manufactured goods. Export diversification brings its own challenges including the question of which products to promote for export. The application of a Decision Support Model developed by Cuyvers et al. (1995:173) for South Africa identified a number of REOs. Amongst these was the export of South Africanmanufactured extruders to Tunisia. Against the background of the importance of export growth, the types of information that exporters use and the sources of such information were determined by means of a survey of extruder manufacturers, TPOs and users of extruders. With the export potential of extruders to Tunisia as an REO as focus, a market study was conducted using the case study research method. Results of the survey indicate that the only type of information that extruder manufacturers as potential new exporters in South Africa seek on a continuous basis is competitor information, specifically pricing information. However, the findings indicate that this is not typically the type of information supplied by TPOs in South Africa. Furthermore there is no evidence that extruder manufacturers have processes in place to monitor markets and competitors, or to identify key types of information. Concerning the case study, it was found that there is indeed a potential market for extruders in Tunisia and that the industries in which extruders are typically used are significant and growing. It was however also found that there are high trade barriers and high market concentration. Therefore, in terms of an export-promotion strategy for TPOs, an offensive exportpromotion strategy is proposed. In terms of further research, this study points to a need for research of this nature to extend to the wider capital equipment industry. It is further recommended that market profiles of the markets that show the most potential for specific products produced and manufactured in South Africa as evident from the results of Rossouw, Steenkamp, Viviers and Cuyvers (2010) be compiled. / Thesis (Ph.D. (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Intense competition in the international markets has made the determinants of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) competitiveness an important asset in the export business, making of policies, strategies and decision making by businesses. SMEs are often seen to be disadvantaged for a variety of reasons, including inappropriate internal structures, lack of capabilities, insufficient resource support and apparent lack of foreign-market knowledge. The nature of international markets and the disadvantages SMEs face, make it imperative to examine the determinants of SME international competitiveness. Although some literature has recorded some studies on internationalisation of SMEs in developed economies, there is insufficient study of SME internationalisation, particularly in the context of non-traditional horticultural SME exporters in developing economies. Hence, the study aims to evaluate the determinants of non-traditional horticultural exporters’ international competitiveness by addressing the question: To what extent are non-traditional horticultural exporters in Ghana competitive in the international market? In the context of this study nontraditional horticultural exports exclude cocoa beans, logs and lumber. The study enriches the literature on internationalisation of SME exporters in developing economies by providing guidance for future research in a field of SME international business. The theoretical foundations of the study draw mostly on three perspectives: the resource based view, international entrepreneurship and institutional theory. From the review of literature, a conceptual framework was developed: ME international competitiveness is conceptualised in this research as government support factors, entrepreneurial factors and a firm’s internal factors. At the empirical level, the study employed qualitative and quantitative approaches which involved surveying 105 non-traditional horticultural exporters (respondents) in Ghana. Six hypotheses were tested on the key issues in this project, which were statistically analysed, employing logit regression, Pearson correlation and chi square. Secondly, the study uses six export facilitating institutions which were interviewed to gain understanding of the services these institutions offer to non-traditional horticultural SME exporters in Ghana. The main findings suggest that Ghana government support policies, access to finance, Technological Innovation, number of years in business, the size of the firm, Entrepreneurial Factors and the number of exporting destinations of the nontraditional horticultural SME exporters have had positive impact on the competitiveness of horticultural SME exporters in international markets. The findings also contribute, to some extent, to the advancement of the empirical, theoretical and managerial understanding of SME international competitiveness in developing economies. The research contributes to the international business literature by providing a model for understanding the determinants of horticultural SMEs’ international competitiveness. This highlights the important role of government, the entrepreneurial orientation, and a firm’s internal factors in realising SME competitiveness. The research also provides guidance for policy makers and SME business facilitators in implementing export-led programmes for horticultural exporting firms in Ghana.

La chute récente du prix des matières premières a montré la vulnérabilité que pouvait impliquer une trop forte dépendance des économies aux revenus provenant des ressources naturelles. Dans le premier chapitre, les résultats que nous obtenons indiquent que les prix des matières premières sont un indicateur important du risque pays des exportateurs, ce qui n’est pas le cas des pays qui sont importateurs. Bien que les pays exportateurs soient aujourd’hui ceux dont le défaut externe est le plus probable, il n’apparaît pas de prime de risque supplémentaire liée à la détention de leurs obligations. Dans le deuxième chapitre, nous étudions le lien entre les termes de l’échange et le taux de change effectif réel entre et de exportateurs de matières premières . Il existe une relation de long terme entre les termes de l’échange des pays exportateurs et leur taux de change réel. Les termes de l’échange n’ont pas d’impact à court-terme sur les taux de change effectifs réels. Néanmoins, nous montrons grâce à l’estimation d’un modèle à seuil à transition lisse en panel PSTR , qu’ une forte baisse du prix du pétrole (entre 25% et 36%) donnent un pouvoir explicatif aux termes de l’échange. Même si la question est encore largement débattue dans la littérature, l’idée qu’il existe une "malédiction des ressources naturelles" a fait sa place. Les pays fortement dotés en ressources naturelles auraient en moyenne une croissance économique plus faible que ceux qui n’en sont pas pourvus. Dans le dernier chapitre, nous proposons une méta-analyse basée sur un échantillon de 67 études empiriques qui étudient le lien entre ressources naturelles et croissance économique. Sur la base d’un ensemble de coefficients estimés, nos résultats montrent qu’il existe une "faible" malédiction des ressources. / The recent drop in commodity prices showed the high vulnerability implied by being too much dependent on revenues stemming from natural resources. In the first chapter, we look into the way financial markets assess the market risk of twenty-two emerging economies. More precisely, the purpose of this chapter is to investigate how natural resources are incorporated in the way international investors perceived the ability to service external debt obligationsduring the 2003-2014 period. The results indicate that commodity prices are an important driver of sovereign spreads in the case of exporters while it is not the case for importing countries. In the second chapter, we investigate the link between energy prices and the real effective exchange rate of commodity-exporting countries. Estimating a panel cointegration relation between the real effective exchange rate and its fundamentals, we provide evidence for the existence of both energy and commodity currencies and we show that when the oil market is highly volatile (downwards), currencies follow an "oil currency regime", terms-of trade becoming an important driver of the real exchange rate A conventional wisdom has spread in the literature stating that a high endowment in natural resources is detrimental for growth, yet the debate is still ongoing In this chapter, we aim at providing quantitative results on the magnitude of the link between natural resources and growth found in the literature, as well as discussing, on quantitative bases, whether the sources of heterogeneity are significant. To this end, we implement a meta-analysis based on 67 empirical studies that investigate the link between natural resources and growth, totaling 1405 estimates. The results show a "soft" curse that may be reverted together with the importance of institutions in mitigating the curse.

En el comercio internacional de bienes y servicios, las agencias de carga internacional desempeñan un rol de alta importancia, estableciendo un nexo comercial y operativo entre las empresas exportadoras y las compañías navieras, logrando por medio del mismo, fortalecer la cadena de suministro mediante la re–venta de fletes como actividad principal en transporte internacional de cargas, siendo esta a su vez, complementada por otras actividades como los servicios de agenciamiento aduanero, transporte local, estiba de carga y emisión documentaria, los cuales forman parte de un concepto de servicio denominado operación logística integral. El servicio de fletes comprende la negociación de espacios y contenedores, para brindar un medio seguro de comercio a los exportadores en sus embarques contenerizados, priorizando los factores de calidad, tiempos de servicio y precios competitivos en base a los volúmenes de carga a transportar y la ruta comercial. Es por ello que la presente investigación, propone aplicar la metodología LEAN como herramienta de gestión para identificar y reducir los principales cuellos de botella presentes en el proceso de abastecimiento y entrega de contenedores aptos para exportación a los clientes de la agencia de carga, tomando en considerando el flujo de información y recursos desde la creación de la orden por parte del exportador hasta el retiro y posicionamiento del contenedor en planta para iniciar con el proceso de estiba de carga y ser posteriormente direccionado a puerto para su embarque.El resumen debe: / In the international trade of goods and services, international freight agencies play a role of high importance, establishing a commercial and operational link between shipping companies and shipping companies (also known as carriers) achieving through it, strengthen the supply chain through the re-sale of freight as the main activity in international cargo transport, this in turn, complemented by other activities such as customs agency services, local transport, cargo stowage and documentary issuance, which are part of a service concept called integral logistics operation The freight service includes the negotiation of spaces and containers, to provide a safe means of trade to exporters in their containerized shipments, prioritizing quality factors, service times and competitive prices based on the volumes of cargo to be transported and the trade route. That is why this research proposes to apply the LEAN methodology as a management tool to identify and reduce the main bottlenecks present in the process of supply and delivery of containers suitable for export to the customers of the freight forwarders, taking into consideration the flow of information and resources from the creation of the order by the exporter to the gate out and positioning of the container in the plant for start with the process of stowage of cargo and then be directed to port for loading for shipment.El resumen debe: / Trabajo de investigación