ZIJBEMR MARCH 2012 ISSUE COMPLETE.pdf - zenith ...

18www.zenithresearch.org.inZENITH International Journal of Business Economics & Management ResearchVol.2 Issue 3, March 2012, ISSN 2249 8826Online available at http://zenithresearch.org.in/TABLE 1; DISTRIBUTION OF FIRMS BY INDUSTRYSectorNMetal products 87Rubber, plastic 50Wood 35Electrical 20Cabinet 14Food drink 14Other 74Total 294TABLE 2; BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLEVariable Average value MedianSales ($) 10060590 5652077Number of employees 76 49Age of firm 24 years 20 yearsExport ratio 28.4% 20.0%R& D Budget in % of sales 2.5% 1.1%The literature does not identify with great precision the key elements that would,unequivocally, the determinants of exporting SMEs. Given the lack of consensus on theseelements or variables and the fact that I can have access to relatively extensive information, Iused factor analysis to test the model components. This method of analysis brings together anumber of variables in factors that express a complementary content,providing a „concept‟ richer than each variable taken separately. The variables identified inthe literature, which have been added other variables available in the databaseand, individually, were correlated with exports, and helped to obtain the factors presented inTable3. Variables with a factor loading greater than 0.35, as proposedby Tabachnick and Fidell (1996), were retained in the construction of factors.