The book analyzes export consortia from the strategic management perspective. It builds on an empirical analysis of nine export consortia promoted by UNIDO in developing countries between 2004 and 2007. The book is based heavily on actual export consortium experiences, in order to combine a rigorous research approach with a more pragmatic view of the phenomenon. The material will be of interest to a variety of readers. Scholars in the field of management represent the authors' primary target. The book includes a literature review which combines the topics of SME internationalization, strategic networks, and the issues which relate specifically to SME alliances in the form of export consortia. Entrepreneurs and executives will find useful business models and management tools for the successful design and implementation of export consortia. Insights into the functioning of export consortia may also be of interest to policy-makers and institutions that develop support programs for the growth of SMEs in developing countries.

The book analyzes export consortia from the strategic management perspective. It builds on an empirical analysis of nine export consortia promoted by UNIDO in developing countries between 2004 and 2007. The book is based heavily on actual export consortium experiences, in order to combine a rigorous research approach with a more pragmatic view of the phenomenon. The material will be of interest to a variety of readers. Scholars in the field of management represent the authors' primary target. The book includes a literature review which combines the topics of SME internationalization, strategic networks, and the issues which relate specifically to SME alliances in the form of export consortia. Entrepreneurs and executives will find useful business models and management tools for the successful design and implementation of export consortia. Insights into the functioning of export consortia may also be of interest to policy-makers and institutions that develop support programs for the growth of SMEs in developing countries.

Enterprise Clusters and Networks in Developing Countries analyses the functions and advantages of clusters and networks for small enterprises in developing countries. In the opening chapter the editors describe different types of clusters and networks and compare the diverse forms of external economies and co-operation effects derived from them. Taking a multidiscplinary approach, they point out it is trust that is the social basis for positive effects of clustering and networking, which are often sources of co-operation and technology diffusion for small enterprises in developing countries.

The mandate of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is close to many of the core issues now confronting developing and transition economy countries, and this book offers the first concise and accessible guide to this important organization. As the only UN organization to have been transformed from a UN secretariat entity to an independently governed UN agency, UNIDO has also an agency which has had to make drastic changes of focus and business practice in order to adjust to a changing environment. This book charts the complex origins and developments of the organization, and moves on to examine the current mandate of the agency, including trade capacity building, poverty reduction and Green Industry Initiative. It also examines the significant partnerships it has formed with other UN based systems such as UNCTAD and the ITC to achieve these goals. In the era of rapid globalization, UNIDO faces growing challenges. In the second part of this work, Browne seeks to review these challenges, and UNIDO’s recent reforms under its current management, and looks suggest how the organization can help to meet some of the key global development challenges in the increasingly competitive environment of development cooperation and private sector initiative. This work will be a useful resource for all those with an interest in international organizations, international relations, development and trade, and international political economy.

This book responds to the challenge of providing a comprehensive account of quality systems for private sector development: what works and what doesnt on the ground, and why. This volume provides a thorough analysis of the diversity of institutions, linkages, and arrangements involved in quality systems, identifying success factors in countries quality strategies. It explains why quality and standards matter for export growth, for productivity, for industrial upgrading, and for diffusion of innovation, all central ingredients in improving economic growth and generating real gains in poverty reduction. It provides a detailed blue print for implementing effective National Quality Systems. Quality and Standards Matter is a valuable tool for policymakers confronted with the challenges of building trade competitiveness in the new global economy.

Open internationalization is a concept that brings a new perspective on the process of firm internationalization. As theories of internationalization show, some companies expand abroad only on their own, known as closed internationalization, while others combine their resources with those of other firms or use their networks for facilitating foreign implantation, known as open internationalization. Parallel to the development of the well-known concept of open innovation, open internationalization can be conceived as a meta-model for understanding companies’ expansion abroad. This book gathers a selection of contemporary research works dedicated to open internationalization, either seen as a way to analyze expansion in foreign countries, or as a way to investigate the management of geographically dispersed activities. All the authors of the chapters are researchers specialized in the internationalization field. Readers will benefit from this new lens for understanding, studying or practising international business, from the decision to go abroad to its implementation and its efficiency. Open Internationalization Strategy includes both academic empirical investigations and literature reviews on specific topics, making it valuable to researchers, academics, managers, and students in the fields of business and management history, international business, organizational studies, and economics.

Companies succeed in international markets because of their competitive competence which, in large measure, is based on the level of knowledge and skill they bring to their international marketing activities. Public organizations in the export development and promotion field play a facilitating role in this process. Their mandate is to enhance the know-how of exporters and thereby assist foreign market entry, development and expansion. The interaction between these public organizations and the companies they exist to serve is the subject of this book. The book is wide-ranging and up-to-date. The work ofresearchers from 11 countries (in both the developed and developing world) is represented which means that a variety of perspectives are contained in the book. These contributions present the latest thinking on this important matter. The authors of each chapter are objective in their approach. Consequently, considerable attention is paid to the performance of the public organization support programs and activities. Each researcher comes to his/her own conclusions based on the individual work undertaken, but readers will fmd that certain common themes run through many ofthe chapters. The key objectives of the book are: 1. To provide academic researchers with a current and comprehensive treatment of the role played by public organizations in export development and promotion. 2. To expose professional readers (officials in relevant public organizations, consultants in the private sector or in international agencies) to a view of their field of interest that might be broader and more critical than normal.

This volume includes the full proceedings from the 1995 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference held in Orlando, Florida. The research and presentations offered in this volume cover many aspects of marketing science including marketing strategy, consumer behavior, advertising, branding, international marketing, marketing education, among others. Founded in 1971, the Academy of Marketing Science is an international organization dedicated to promoting timely explorations of phenomena related to the science of marketing in theory, research, and practice. Among its services to members and the community at large, the Academy offers conferences, congresses and symposia that attract delegates from around the world. Presentations from these events are published in this Proceedings series, which offers a comprehensive archive of volumes reflecting the evolution of the field. Volumes deliver cutting-edge research and insights, complimenting the Academy’s flagship journals, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (JAMS) and AMS Review. Volumes are edited by leading scholars and practitioners across a wide range of subject areas in marketing science.

The textbook experience of poverty can be witnessed in a number of developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia and Latin America. Accordingly, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been identified as an important tool for poverty reduction, as it is noted to accelerate economic growth and employment in a nation, and is currently an essential issue for countries such as Uganda. This book finds that Ragnar’s 1953 ‘Vicious-Circle of Poverty’ remains undisputed even today, showing that attracting FDI is not the end, but that a nation’s absorption capacity is equally paramount. The implications of the FDI ‘frog-leap theory’ for developing countries and the Community Capital Absorption Capacity Development (CCACD) framework provide plausible poverty reduction approaches in the 21st century. Without such measures, bringing an end to poverty is likely to elude governments and multinational corporations in developing countries.

The emergence of start-up companies and new forms of entrepreneurship has become a significant challenge for entrepreneurs and decision-makers who shape the businesses and economies of the future. This book presents the results of international research, analyses, and experiences with start-ups, delving into their strengths and weaknesses as well as the challenges and attitudes that drive their quest for success. It identifies and analyzes various determinants that shape entrepreneurship, shedding light on new conditions that inspire and affect running a business in a new dynamically changing economic reality. It also presents strategies and concepts used by novice entrepreneurs to overcome market challenges and build thriving enterprises from scratch. Through an analysis of start-ups from various industries and countries, contributions showcase patterns and best practices that determine their growth, and the secrets of their extraordinary achievements are discovered. The power of cooperation between the academic environment and enterprises that jointly create innovations is also highlighted, as well as the impact of the educational systems and cultural norms that support networks on promoting ecology and an environment that encourages and supports entrepreneurial ventures. By analyzing the success of entrepreneurship in various regions and countries, this edited collection reveals the relationships among policy frameworks, access to resources, and the development of dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems. It will be of interest to researchers, academics, and advanced students in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development.