Export information uses and performance of horticultural and handicrafts SMEs in Tanzania
| dc.contributor.author | Philemon, John Richard Mwakyusa | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2019-06-05T08:09:16Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-01-08T09:55:54Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2019-06-05T08:09:16Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-01-08T09:55:54Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2010 | |
| dc.description | Available in print form | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | The study applies the Resource Based View (RBV) and the Upper Echelons Theory (UET) to examine the uses of export information and their effects on the performance of SMEs engaged in exporting horticultural and handicraft products. It was the thesis of this study that what leads to improved export performance is not merely the possession of export information but its appropriate use. Descriptive and multivariate Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to test the research model using a survey of 158 SMEs in Dar-es-Salaam, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. The findings revealed that instrumental–conceptual use of information for particular, general and future decision-making purposes was positively and significantly related to SMEs export performance. Symbolic uses of export information (justifying actions already taken based on instinct or intuition, or legitimizing views already held) were, as hypothesized, found to be negatively related to SMEs’ export performance. Furthermore, it was found that the perceived quality of export information has an effect on the uses of export information. Owners or managers’ demographic characteristics were not found to have an effect on the use of export information, while Entrepreneurial Orientation relationship with uses of export information was partially supported. This study has also presented structural models for explaining uses of export information and export performance. It has demonstrated the relevance of the Resource Based View (RBV) and the Upper Echelons Theory (UET) - two of the increasingly important schools of thought in the business strategy literature. The overriding recommendation of the study is for owners or managers and other SME development stakeholders to address issues of uses and perception of quality of export information as they have ramifications on the export performance of SMEs. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.citation | Philemon, J. R. M (2010) Export information uses and performance of horticultural and handicrafts SMEs in Tanzania. Ph.D dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Available at http://41.86.178.3/internetserver3.1.2/detail.aspx | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/5920 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | University of Dar es Salaam | en_US |
| dc.subject | Export performance | en_US |
| dc.subject | Horticultural SMEs | en_US |
| dc.subject | Tanzania | en_US |
| dc.title | Export information uses and performance of horticultural and handicrafts SMEs in Tanzania | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |