The Perception of Export Barriers by Turkish Manufacturing Firms

Export is one of the most popular mode of internationalization due to its low commitment, flexibility and less risky structure. Turkey’s share of manufacturing exports in total exports have not dropped below 90% since 1999. This paper investigates what export barriers Turkish manufacturing firms are facing and how they perceive the magnitude of the difficulty of each barrier. After an extensive literature review related to export barriers, a survey was developed and conducted with the help of the undergraduate students. By applying factor analysis, eleven factors were identified. Based on factor means, ranking and comparisons were completed. Findings show that input and procedural costs, financing and tax are seen as the most important export barriers by the managers followed by labor, technological and non-tariff issues. Perceptions on export barriers differ by firm size, export volume and export frequency. The study has implications for businesses and the government.

İmalat Firmalarının İhracat Engelleri Algısı Üzerine Bir Çalışma

İhracat, düşük katılım gerektirmesi, esnekliği ve diğer yatırım araçlarına göre daha az riskli olması açısından uluslararasılaşmanın en popüler biçimlerinden biridir. Türkiye’nin toplam ihracatı içerisinde imalat sanayii ihracatının 1999 yılından beri %90’ın altına düşmemiştir. Bu çalışma, Türk imalatçılarının hangi ihracat engelleri ile karşılaştıklarını ve bu ihracat engellerinin zorluk büyüklüklerini nasıl algıladıklarını araştırmaktadır. Bu durumu ölçmek için, ihracat engellerine ilişkin geniş bir literatür taraması paylaşıldıktan sonra, bir anket geliştirilmiş ve bu anket lisans öğrencilerinin yardımı ile doldurtulmuştur. Faktör analizi yöntemi uygulanarak 11 faktör belirlenmiştir. Faktör ortalamalarına göre, sıralama ve karşılaştırmalar yapılmıştır. Bulgulara göre girdi ve prosedürel maliyetler, finansman ve vergi yöneticiler tarafından en önemli engeller olarak görülürken, bunu çalışan maliyetleri, teknoloji ve tarife-dışı engeller takip etmiştir. İhracat engellerine ilişkin algı, firma boyutuna, ihracat miktarına ve ihracat sıklığına göre farklılık gösterebilmektedir. Çalışmanın işletmeler ve devlet açısından çıkarımları vardır.

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