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Export barriers as liabilities: near perfect substitutes

Eldrede T. Kahiya (School of Marketing and International Business, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand)

European Business Review

ISSN: 0955-534X

Article publication date: 9 January 2017

1251

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to use analogical reasoning to draw a conceptual link between liabilities in International Business (IB) and export barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a review of 130 articles on export barriers, the study develops and applies a “liabilities” metonymy to connect the source construct (liabilities in the IB) and target subject (export barriers).

Findings

Liabilities in the IB map to export barriers, and the concepts of liability of foreignness, liability of outsidership, liability of newness and liability of smallness can substitute export barriers.

Practical implications

Adoption of metonymy creates new opportunities for enhancing theory development while offering alternative perspectives regarding coping mechanisms for overcoming export barriers.

Originality/value

This, to the author’s best knowledge, is the first study in the IB to theorize based on metonymy.

Keywords

Citation

Kahiya, E.T. (2017), "Export barriers as liabilities: near perfect substitutes", European Business Review, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 61-102. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-12-2015-0160

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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