Michela C. Mason

Internationalization modes other than exporting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically evaluate a model of the firm‐level determinants of export performance that includes the firms internationalization modes other than exporting.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses information gathered on 147 Italian manufacturing small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and applies a structural equation modeling procedure to evaluate determinants included in the model, which are: the firms commitment to developing an international marketing strategy, the organizational structure for exports, international modes other than exporting (foreign direct investment, international alliances, global sourcing), and some characteristics of the firm already extensively explored in other studies (size, age, international experience).Findings – The above‐mentioned firm internationalization methods are shown, as a whole, to have a statistically significant, positive and direct influence on export performance. The same can be said of the strategic...

International entrepreneurship, export planning and export performance: evidence from a sample of winemaking SMEs

While some entrepreneurs opt to be born global from inception, others internationalise their firms over time; these are inherently different cases with unlike causal variables, forms and consequences. This article models and tests the influence that international entrepreneurship exerts on the export performance of a firm. Five hypotheses are derived from the literature. With a sample of winemaking SMEs, we test these by means of moderated hierarchical regression analysis. The results discuss the relationship of cognitive traits with international entrepreneurship and highlight the importance of combining these cognitive characteristics with strategic planning in order enhance export performance.

Governance and social aspects of internationalisation: SMEs in northeastern Italy

This paper investigates the internationalisation aspects of Itialian companies. The study was carried out in order to explore the entrepreneurial motivations and strategic characteristics on which international activity in these companies is based. The focus is primarily on owner and manager attributes with the objective of highlighting how these factors have influenced the willingness of company entrepreneurs and managers to internationalise. In a second stage, those characteristics are analysed in relation to the various international strategies adopted by the described companies and also by highlighting the main barriers that they have to face when entering foreign markets. From a methodological point of view, the study is based on the examination of a survey extending over some 150 SMEs in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) region. The survey data is studied using statistical methods, like logistic regression and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), in order to test the relationships between the variables.

Packaging e comunicazione: una ricerca empirica nelle zone vinicole del Friuli Venezia Giulia

Packaging and communication: an empirical research in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region - Due to some different factors, the communication role of packaging is becoming more important for numerous products. To communicate effectively, marketers need to know how communication actually works. On the basis of this consideration, supported by several theoretical and empirical evidences, the authors refer to the model of the communication process in order to develop a field research. This model explains the relations between the sender and the receiver, and the related encoding and decoding process. The aim is first of all to point out, classify, and analyze the main contents of the message and the components of packaging used by a sample of wineries in the Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli area, and then to relate these aspects with the structural and competitive features of the firms.

Measuring website quality: theoretical framework and practical implications for the agro-food sector in the European Alpine area

Currently, online shopping has become a widespread phenomenon around the world and the internet has become a new outlet for the commercialisation of products usually sold through traditional channels. This paper focuses on the agro-food sector and on the European Alpine area with respect to sheep and goat production in order to develop a context-specific framework for e-commerce website quality. In other words, this paper aims to provide, on the one hand, a comprehensive theoretical framework for measure web quality; on the other hand, managerial implications for practitioners of the agro-food sector in order to promote these businesses improving the quality of their e-commerce websites. We declined these aims in two research questions: the first is about which are the key factors of website quality in the agro-food sector, analysing simultaneously system (or functional) quality and information (or technical) quality; the second research question is about how to measure these factors. This paper uses a quantitative methodology that mixes an objective and a subjective approach. The result is a pioneering approach able to capture website quality and to provide useful insights for managers and professionals in the agro-food sector.

Antecedents and moderators of golf tourists’ behavioral intentions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of golf tourism in a Mediterranean golf resort located in Italy. Based on a systematic literature review, this research develops and tests a context-specific “integrated model” in order to shed further light on the complex discordance in the literature with new empirical data. Furthermore, the present study attempts to establish a framework to provide a better understanding of golf tourism behavior in terms of specific segmentation profiles. This will contribute to a more targeted approach to marketing and promotional activities. Design/methodology/approach – This study applied structural equation modeling to verify the path relationship of golf tourists quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavioral intention. The final step was to include the suggested moderator variables (age and playing experience) into the model in order to gain further insights. Furthermore, multiple group analyses were calculated in comparing two sub-sa...