Shifting patterns of SMEs in export marketing orientation an exploratory study of Western Australian businesses

Abstract

The importance of developing strong business relationships with customers is well documented in the marketing literature, and becomes increasingly important for those organisations operating in international markets. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of recent economic crises in Asia on the export patterns of Australian businesses. Results of survey of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Western Australia suggest that the Asian economic crisis of 1997/98 was of concern to Australian exporters; however exchange rate fluctuations play a more important role in influencing export behaviour. On the other hand, the membership of the European Union (EU) has had little or no effect on the exporters. This can largely be explained by the fact that the proportion of the overall exports to the EU was much smaller than that of the Asian countries. Results are discussed with managerial implications and directions for future research.