Investigating export assistance services: a New Zealand study

Abstract

Based on the data collected from a survey of 101 New Zealand small and medium sized exporters, the study tries to evaluate some of the recurring questions about existing export assistance services- What is the perception of importance of the existing services? What is the level of awareness of existing assistance services? What is the level of use of the existing services? Which of the existing services are more likely to be used for future export transactions? What is the perception of effectiveness of existing services and finally, what is the level of satisfaction with the quality of the service provided? By employing a stages model of export development to categories exporters, the study classifies the exporters into three categories- passive exporter, growing exporter and active exporter. The study examines whether significant differences can be observed between the three categories of exporters with respect to the above questions. The results suggest that very few differences exist between passive, growing and active exporters in the New Zealand context with respect to their awareness, use and perceptions of export assistance services. Overall, the perceived importance of assistance services among the responding firms is neither high nor low. The results suggest that while there is a high level of awareness of available export assistance services, the use and perceived effectiveness of these services is lower than what the policymakers would likely expect. The findings suggest that policymakers have to ensure that the existing services are made accessible to the exporters and aim to improve the quality of the existing services. From an academic point of view, the study raises some interesting questions regarding the use of stages model of export development. In the process, the study identifies some gaps in the existing literature and suggests areas for future research. This study contributes to the knowledge on the attitudes and approach of the New Zealand exporters towards assistance services. It raises questions regarding the current literature in this area and also offers opportunities for further research.