This thesis attempts to investigate the influence of the firm's internal and external environmental measures upon its export behaviour (i.e., the variation between exporters and non - exporters) and the level of exporting. In order to achieve the study's objectives, and to conduct this research in a systematic manner, a conceptual framework was developed. The conceptual framework tied together the key factors which are thought to have influenced the firm's export behaviour and the level of exporting, i.e., the internal and the external environmental dimensions.
The design of the research is guided by a number of hypotheses about the relationship between the firm's level of exporting and its internal and external environmental measures on the one hand, and about the discrimination between exporters and non exporters according to these environmental measures on the other hand.
The required data interviews with 387 manufacturing firms approach was employed. are collected through structured - directed respondents. The survey units were the in Jordan, and the key single respondents The data are analysed by the application of a variety of statistical tests and techniques: (1) Factor analysis (Principle Components analysis); (2) Multiple regression analysis; (3) Discriminant function analysis; (4) Correlation analysis; (5) T - test; (6) the Univariate F - ratio; (7) Chi - square test, and the (9) McNemar test.
This thesis is organised in 10 chapters; the first chapter discussed the research problem, objectives, and hypotheses; chapter two introduced the relevant literature review; chapter three presented the preliminary interviews; chapter four is devoted to the study's conceptual framework; chapter five and chapter six are intended to explain the research design and the research methodology; chapters seven, eight, and nine are concerned the research findings, and finally chapter ten is the conclusions.
Overall, the findings of the study support the following conclusions: (iv) (1) The firm's internal environmental measures are related not only to export behaviour (i.e., the difference between exporters and non - exporters), but also to the level of exporting. (2) The firm's external environmental measures are also related to export behaviour and the level of exporting. (3) In terms of the predictive power (i.e., explanation) of the level of exporting, the firm's external environmental measures are found to be higher than its internal environmental measures. (4) In respect of the predictive power of the classification of group membership (i. e., exporters vs. non - exporters), the firm 's internal environmental measures are shown to be higher than its counterpart, the external environmental measures. (5) The factors determining the firm's export behaviour are found to be somewhat different from the factors determining its level of exporting . (6) In comparison to each environmental dimension acting alone, the integration approach of the two internal and external dimensions gives better explanation not only of the prediction of the level of exporting but also of the prediction of export behaviour. Therefore, a better understanding of export behaviour and the level of exporting requires that the firm's environmental measures to be viewed as a whole (i.e., the interaction of the internal and external dimensions) rather than being isolated fragments (i.e., only a single dimension). (7) The study 's findings support many of the findings of previous studies. However, some conflicting results are also reported. For example, the age of the decision - maker is not found to be an important determinant either of the level of exporting or export behaviour. These differences raise new explanation when variables are, or are not, important to export behaviour or the level of exporting.
And on the basis of the findings, the study is concluded with a number of interesting applications for the current and potential exporters, and for the public policy - makers in Jordan.