Market Orientation and the Caribbean Enterprise

  • Lawrence A. Nicholson
  • Jonathan G. Lashley
Chapter

Abstract

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the English-speaking Caribbean (ESC) are domestically focused, with a limited level of exports of goods and services. Such a situation constrains the long-term growth prospects of the region. The chapter seeks to explain some of the reasons for this limited focus from the perspective of history, policy-making, and at the enterprise level. In addition, using recent data from the ESC, the correlates of export propensity, that is, whether a firms exports or not, and export intensity, that is, the level of exporting in relation to total sales, are presented. To redress the imbalance seen, lessons from successful, internationalised, Caribbean enterprises are provided to assist in the development of indigenous, growth-oriented, entrepreneurship.

Keywords

Foreign Investor Market Orientation Export Intensity International Entrepreneurship Resource Endowment 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

References

  1. Axinn, Catherine N., and Paul Matthyssens. 2002. Limits of internationalization theories in an unlimited world. International Marketing Review 19(5): 436–449.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Carter, Henderson. 2010. The rise of black business in Barbados, 1900–1966. In West Indian business history: Enterprise and entrepreneurship, ed. B.W. Higman and Kathleen E.A. Monteith, 214–224. Kingston: UWI Press.Google Scholar
  3. Chetty, Sylvia K., and Robert T. Hamilton. 1996. The process of exporting in owner-controlled firms. International Small Business Journal 14(2): 12–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Danns, George K. 1994. The role of the entrepreneur in the development of the Caribbean. In Entrepreneurship in the Caribbean: Culture, structure and conjuncture, ed. Selwyn Ryan and Taimoon Stewart, 39–51. St. Augustine: UWI, ISER.Google Scholar
  5. De Groot, Olaf, and Miguel Perez Ludena. 2014. Foreign direct investment in the Caribbean: Trends, determinants and policies, Studies and perspectives series. Santiago: UN ECLAC.Google Scholar
  6. Downes, Andrew S. 2004. Arthur Lewis and industrial development in the Caribbean: An assessment. Paper presented at a conference on The Lewis Model after 50 years: Assessing Sir Arthur Lewis’ Contribution to Development Economics and Policy, University of Manchester. July 6–7.Google Scholar
  7. EUbusiness Ltd. 2015. EU releases world tax havens blacklist. June 18. http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/economy-politics.120n. Accessed 4 Jan 2016.
  8. Gashi, Petrit, Iraj Hashi, and Geoff Pugh. 2014. Export behaviour of SMEs in transition countries. Small Business Economics 42: 407–435.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Higman, B.W., and Kathleen E.A. Montheith. 2010. West Indian business history: Enterprise and entrepreneurship. Kingston: University of the West Indies Press.Google Scholar
  10. Johanson, Jan, and Jan-Erik Vahlne. 1977. The internationalisation of the firm: Four Swedish cases. Journal of Management Studies 8(1): 23–32.Google Scholar
  11. Kiss, Andreea N., Wade M. Danis, and S. Tamer Cavusgil. 2012. International entrepreneurship research in emerging economies: A critical review adn research agenda. Journal of Business Venturing 27: 266–290. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2011.09.004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Klak, Thomas. 1995. A framework for studying Caribbean industrial policy. Economic Geography 71: 297–317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Lashley, Jonathan. 2001. The internationalisation of the SME: A critical realist approach. PhD Thesis, University of Leicester.Google Scholar
  14. Lashley, Jonathan. 2002. Survey of Barbadian businesses: Preliminary results and issues arising. Presented as part of SALISES seminar series, University of the West Indies,, Bridgetown, February 27.Google Scholar
  15. Lashley, Jonathan. 2010a. Chapter 4: Productive sector development in the Caribbean-manufacturing and mining. In Growth and development strategies for the Caribbean, ed. Frank Alleyne, Denny Lewis-Bynoe and Xiomara Archibald, 55–95. Bridgetown: Caribbean Development Bank.Google Scholar
  16. Lashley, Jonathan. 2010b. External enticements and internal inertia: Constraints to enterprise growth in Barbadian manufacturing enterprises. Paper presented at SALISES annual conference on Turmoil and Turbulence in Small Developing States: Going Beyond Survival, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. March 24–26.Google Scholar
  17. Leonidou, Leonidas C., Constantine S. Katsikeas, Dayananda Palihawadana, and Stavroula Spyropoulou. 2007. An analytical review of the factors stimulating smaller firms to export: Implications for policy‐makers. International Marketing Review 24(6): 735–770.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Lewis, W. Arthur. 1950. The industrialisation of the British West Indies. Caribbean Economic Review 2: 1–39.Google Scholar
  19. Moore, Winston. 2010. Trade and industrial policy in the Caribbean: Chap. 6. In Growth and development strategies in the Caribbean, ed. Frank Alleyne, Denny Lewis-Bynoe, and Xiomara Archibald, 125–150. Bridgetown: Caribbean Development Bank.Google Scholar
  20. Oviatt, Benjamin M., and Patricia P. McDougall. 1994. Toward a theory of international new ventures. Journal of International Business Studies 25(1): 45–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Oviatt, Benjamin M., and Patricia P. McDougall. 2005. Defining international entrepreneurship and modeling the speed of internationalisation. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice 29(5): 537–553.Google Scholar
  22. Porter, Michael. 1985. Competitive advantage. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
  23. Ricardo, David. 1817. On the principles of political economy and taxation. London: John Murray.Google Scholar
  24. Sen, Sunanda. 2005. International trade theory: A review of the literature. Development and Change 36(6): 1011–1029.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Shane, Scott. 2009. Why encouraging more people to become entrepreneurs is bad public policy. Small Business Economics 33: 141–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Singer, Slavica, Jose Ernesto Amoros, and Daniel Moska. 2015. Global entrepreneurship monitor 2014 global report. London: Global Entrepreneurship Research Association.Google Scholar
  27. Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies. 2009. Policy forum on the repositioning of the manufacturing sector in Barbados. Discussion transcript, Bridgetown: SALISES, 15.Google Scholar
  28. Smith, Adam. 1776. An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell.Google Scholar
  29. Sunday Sun. 2015. Automotive art 25 years: 16-page anniversary special. Sunday Sun, August 30, 1–16.Google Scholar
  30. Williams, Densil. 2008. Export stimulation of micro and small locally-owned firms from emerging environments: New evidence. Journal of International Entrepreneurship 6(3): 101–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Williams, Densil. 2012. Industry sector and export performance of small, locally-owned firms. Journal of International Business Research 11(Special Issue 1): 15–27.Google Scholar
  32. World Bank. 2015. World development indicators. http://databank.worldbank.org/. Accessed 30 Dec 2015.
  33. World Trade Organisation. 2010. Measuring trade in services, a training module for the World Bank. Training Manual, Switzerland: World Trade Organisation.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • Lawrence A. Nicholson
    • 1
  • Jonathan G. Lashley
    • 2
  1. 1.Mona School of Business and ManagementUniversity of the West Indies, Mona CampusKingstonJamaica
  2. 2.Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic StudiesUniversity of the West Indies, Cave Hill CampusWansteadBarbados

Personalised recommendations