The management of export marketing in engineering industries

Represents some of the preliminary results of a research project being undertaken at the University of Salford (UK), into the management of export marketing in the textile machinery, agricultural machinery, and mechanical handling equipment industries. Bases analysis on information obtained in interviews with top executives in the 40 firms so far visited, of varying size and covering all the major sections of the three industries. States the standard of export marketing is not solely a function of the size and resources of individual firms – it also depends on the extent to which the policy makers in a firm are prepare to gear its operations to overseas markets. Concludes in the last resort it is the firms that must do the exporting, and it is directors” and managers” quality that determines their response to improvements in services and incentives.