George Tesar

Longitudinal study of exporters and nonexporters: A focus on smaller manufacturing enterprises

Many smaller manufacturing enterprises are reluctant to export even though, since the late 1960s, governments have attempted to stimulate them to export. Numerous studies have examined the reluctance to export as a point-in-time phenomenon. This study examines the differences between exporting and nonexporting smaller manufacturing enterprises over the past 20Â years using the same research methodology and conceptual and theoretical foundation. The results of this study are encouraging and clearly indicate significant changes over the past 20Â years between exporting and nonexporting SMEs. They suggest that over the past 20Â years exporters in the study are externally oriented and nonexporters remain internally oriented. These findings have important implications for export development efforts of both governments and managers.

The role of marketing in the introduction of technologically new products: the case of the electric car

The energy and environmental crises are important problems facing the United States today. With less than 6% of the worlds population, the U.S. accounts for 47% of the worlds automobiles and nearly 35% of the total energy demand. Automobiles consume nearly 14.5% of the total energy demand and are the major source of air pollution. Whiel there are many potential solutions for the energy and environmental crises, this paper specifically focuses on how the electric car can be a partial answer to the complex problem of personal transportation. The paper specifically discusses the role of marketing in bridging the gap between technology and the consumer. On the basis of an extensive exploratory study, the authors contend that there is sufficient interest among consumers for an economical, pollution-free, electric car. Understanding the consumers need and developing a product that is feasible, considering existing technology, is the role that marketing must play.

Foreign Market Involvement and Technological Changes Among Enterpreneurial Firms

This study examines fundamental relationships between small and medium-sized firms and the large client firms that contribute to developing their foreign market entry and internal technology strategies. It focuses on a particular group of small and medium-sized manufacturing firms classified as entrepreneurial engineering and fabrication firms. The results of this study suggest that these firms are formulating effective market entry and technology strategies to improve their competitive position in international markets.

A Unique Product as a Perceived Advantage Among Small- and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Firms

A number of small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms perceive that they manufacture a unique product. This paper examines the statistically significant differences between those firms that perceive that one of their distinctive advantages is that they produce a unique product and those firms that do not perceive that they produce a unique product. The results indicate that the firms that perceive a unique product tend to have a wider national and international market perspective and to have somewhat different objectives than firms that do not have a unique product.

Marketing Management in Geographically Remote Industrial Clusters : Implications for Business-to-Consumer Marketing

This book is the first to cover marketing management issues in geographically remote industrial clusters (GRICs). The phenomena of GRICs have increased in importance, especially in the Nordic countries, due to changes in industry structures as well as political ambitions. The practice of marketing and marketing management is not singular to industry clusters in Nordic countries. Remote areas in parts of the United States, South and Central America, and South East Asia exhibit similar tendencies. The problems faced by many entrepreneurial managers managing start-up or even existing enterprises are complex and require an in-depth understanding not only of the problems themselves, but also of the contextual framework in which these problems need to be solved. This book contains original cases that cover issues like cluster formation, information gathering, marketing strategies and operations, and information-technology. Examples come from industries like textile & furniture, automobile, agro-machinery, food, wine, software, and management consulting. Contents: Introduction: An Introduction to Geographically Remote Industrial Clusters Formation and Growth of Geographically Remote Industrial Clusters Smaller Manufacturing Enterprises in Geographically Remote Industrial Clusters Business-to-Consumer Marketing Management Marketing Management and Cluster Dynamics Notes on Case Analysis Collected Cases: Formation of Geographically Remote Industrial Clusters: Instinctive Formation of an Industrial Cluster Athelia ia How Can an Old City Survive the Death of French Shipyards? Closing the Distance between Two Furniture Clusters ia M?belriket in Lammhult and Tibro Interi?r in Tibro Social and Environmental Value-Based Cluster Development ia The Dilemma of Wishing to Do Good by Selling Textile Goods The Textile Firm ZEEL S.A. or the Never-Ending Story of Marketing as Levitts i°Cinderellai± Interactive Recycling ia Service Innovation in a Green Cluster Internal and External Information Needs of Geographically Remote Industrial Clusters: Downturn for a Manufacturing Company in a Geographically Remote Industrial Cluster Saab ia A Case of Emergency Connecting Strategy with Functional Practice in the Automobile Industry Cluster Development and Marketing Challenges for a Regional Biorefinery Cluster Marketing Management Operations and Strategies of Geographically Remote Industrial Clusters: Sweet and Sound with Xylitol Revitalizing Agro-Machinery Manufacturing in Tanzania ia The Case of IEL Skagenfood A/S in the Northern Jutland Seafood Cluster ia Decisions to Develop the Business Growth Challenges in Small Manufacturing Ventures from Emerging Economies ia The Evidence from Moldova Winery Startup within a Wine-Producing Cluster Convergence and Differentiation in Regional Know-How ia The Case of Central Otago Pinot Noir Information Technology Issues and Geographically Remote Industrial Clusters: Software Development in a Remote Geographic Location ia The Case of TextFlow National Computer Services, Inc. ia Market Options for a Small Middle Eastern IT Company Golf Goes Virtual with GOLFZON Readership: Students studying marketing management, business professionals involved in managing industrial clusters, policy makers, government officials and economics and regional development specialists. Key Features: The area of cluster development is viewed from marketing management and SME perspectives and not from economic or regional development perspectives Provides a way of structuring clusters regardless of how challenging the economies are

Part III: Marketing Management Operations and Strategies of Geographically Remote Industrial Clusters

To grow or not to grow? This is not a rhetorical question for Tamara Popa, the co-owner and Executive Director of VM-Plumcom Ltd. Clearly it is the former part of the question that is on Tamara’s agenda. The challenge thus is how to grow, a challenge that has been amplified for the last couple of years by the global economic crisis and recession, especially in the international markets VM-Plumcom Ltd. has been serving. Since the time of the crisis in 2008, the revenue of the company dropped by 12% in 2009, with export sales dropping by 14% as compared to 2007. As the number of orders decreased during this period, VM-Plumcom Ltd. even stopped the production process in 2010 since the stock had piled up during the previous year. On top of the global economic crisis, VM-Plumcom Ltd. also experienced severe drought that heavily affected the yield of fruit and vegetables that are the company’s raw material. Despite all this, Tamara strongly believes in a positive outlook for her business. The sales picked up in 2010 and reached the 2007 level. In a way this was due to the fact that two years ago VM-Plumcom Ltd. received organic certification that brought new, bigger business opportunities. Tamara has plans for the medium term to invest in and launch new products such as nut kernels; puree, juice, and nectar from peach, apricot and apples; dried vegetables; and frozen fruit and vegetables. To achieve these objectives, Tamara expects to invest over

Internationalisation of family-owned businesses in the Czech Republic

3 million in new equipment and production capacity, and increase the number of permanent staff to between 100 and 150 employees over the next three years. This is a case study about the emergence on an international new venture (INV) that is in the business of processing fruit and vegetables. It is also about how this INV from an emerging economy internationalizes rapidly and successfully into the EU market.

Expectations before privatisation and market realities after privatisation: technology transfer

Tento výzkum využiva techniky připadových studii vytvořených na zakladě osobnich rozhovorů s vlastniky sedmi rodinných firem v CR, aby urcil faktory, ktere ovlivňuji procesy jejich internacionalizace. Testuje ctyři výzkumne otazky internacionalizace, ktere byly v daných souvislostech identifikovany předchazejicim výzkumem jako sibnifikantni. Zatim co předpoklady vlastniků (jako věk, vzdělani a znalost cizich jazyků) nepřispivali k internacionalizace jejich firem, motivace vlastniků ovlivňovala jejich rozhodnuti vstoupit na zahranicni trhy anebo ne. Take jsme zjistili, že parametry firem, jako velikost (ale nikoliv produktova orientace) přispivaji k rozhodovani o vstupu na zahranicni trhy. Dale jsme testovali povědomi vlastnilů o jejich preferovaných zahranicnich trzich. Nase výsledky vedou k zavěru, že znalost zahranicnich trhů neni nezbytnou podminkou pro internacionalizaci rodinných firem. A konecně nas výzkum ukazal, žwe způsob vnimani exportnich nakladů a barier zavisi na tom jaký typ bariery je zkouman.

The Introduction of Technologically New Products by the U.S. Government

Recently privatised firms in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are searching for Western European partners to transfer their technologies to Western countries. The differences in expectations between CEE managers and their Western counterparts increased as privatisation efforts intensified. This paper proposes a model which can explain the differences in expectations before privatisation and market realities after privatisation, between CEE managers and their Western counterparts in terms of technology transfer out and into CEE.

A Note on the Export Behavior of Firms: Exporter Profiles

Recent changes in the external business environment, the corporate planning and operating functions, and consumer perceptions of economic and market conditions produced new business opportunities constrained by increasing financial and innovation risks. These changes are evident on both the domestic and international levels. A number of major corporations are concerned with these changes and opt to rescue their financial risks by emphasising existing marketing and sales programmes and are reducing their research and development activities. This approach generates a climate which is not conducive to development and introduction of technologically new products and services, particularly in the light of the growing energy scarcity and increasing cost of energy. Several Western European governments work closely with the industrial sector to assure the development of energy efficient programmes, products and services. However, these govern-