| Summary: | This thesis reports on the results of an interview-based
survey of 21 British Columbia exporters active in the ASEAN
region. The primary focus of the research was on the
sources of information utilized by these exporters in
uncovering their initial and most recent business
opportunities in the ASEAN market.
The respondents in the study displayed a clear preference
for sources of information which were external to their
organizations rather than internal and for personal sources
of information rather than non-personal or documentary
sources (including electronic databases). The single most
important source of information on potential business
opportunities in ASEAN was the personal network of contacts
developed by the firm's own personnel, particularly the
firm's local man in the field (whether he be an agent,
distributor, or joint venture partner).
Contrary to the U.S., Swedish and European experience
described elsewhere in the literature, the respondents in
this study rarely entered the ASEAN market on the basis of
an "unsolicited export order". Nor did they attach much
importance to bankers, consultants, brokers, lawyers, or
government officials as sources of potentially useful
information on new business opportunities in ASEAN.
Also surprising was the fairly common usage of a "piggyback"
or "big brother" method of initial market entry into ASEAN.
In most of these cases, the respondents acted as
subcontractors to larger Canadian and American firms active
in the ASEAN marketplace. Equally surprising was the
conspicuous lack of success enjoyed by two B.C. export
consortiums formed to penetrate the ASEAN market.
Finally, there was very little evidence of any major shift
in the type of information sources used, over time. The
best sources of information remained "personal contacts" and
"the local man in the field". There was, however, some
movement away from the use of personal contacts established
by the firm's senior executives while on a preliminary swing
through the region and towards the use of personal contacts
established by the firm's local representative. In
addition, there was a growing trend towards the use of
indigenous or "bumiputra" representatives in ASEAN and away
from the use of Chinese or expatriate middlemen. === Business, Sauder School of === Graduate
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