Export marketing support activity : a study on supporting export promotion programmes (EPPs) in Pakistan

Export marketing support services offered by the government and other agencies, particularly in developing countries, seem well-suited to exporting firms for their involvement in foreign markets. The effects of governmental export marketing support on firms' exporting activity is found a limited researched issue in international marketing, particularly the measurement of the effects of export promotion programmes (EPPs). Such programmes specifically are directed at assisting exporters' export market entry.;The study addresses the role and effectiveness of export marketing support as the acquisition of such support is influenced by management's orientation and information search and use behaviour (Reid, 1984; Katiskeas and Piercy, 1993). The analysis involves:;1- A comparison of the sample groups of programmes' users (UEP) and programmes' non-users (NUEP).;2- A detailed investigation of the export promotion programmes (EPPs) in export market entry.;Overall, the thesis findings suggest that certain behavioural differences exist between firms using export promotion programmes (EPPs) in their export market entry and the firms not using EPPs. But no difference was found as far as export performance of both sample groups is concerned. However, users of programmes seem more organised and proactive in export marketing activity.;Measurement of the effectiveness of export promotion programmes (EPPs), however, appears complicated by a variety of factors which could not be clearly attributed to the use of EPPs. Such programmes are seen as having a lasting effect on the exporting firms' export market involvement.;Although the role of export promotion programmes must be seen as complementary to firms' export marketing efforts in general, these are accorded importance in export market entry.