Browsing by Author "Christiansson, Elin"

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Intermediaries in International Trade. A Case Study of a Gothenburg Based Trading House, Exporting Paper Products to Nigeria
(2014-08-12) Christiansson, Elin; Eliasson, Hanna; University of Gothenburg/Department of Business Administration; Göteborgs universitet/Företagsekonomiska institutionen
An intermediary is found in between the manufacturer and customer and connects the parties in situations where it may be too difficult, time consuming and simply not profitable for them to engage in direct export. The intermediary functions as a bridge between the manufacturer and the customer, and is employed on markets where they have a better ability to handle the export process than manufacturers. There is a cluster of so-called trading houses1 in Gothenburg, Sweden, consisting of intermediaries specializing in export of forestry products to distant markets. This study aims to provide an understanding of why these intermediaries handle export of paper products and will furthermore focus specifically on Nigeria as export market. A case study of one of these trading houses has been carried out, based on interviews with the Managing Director and three employees. An important explanation of the existence of trading houses is their role as financers of high-risk transactions and thus their relations with the bank. An interview with a trade finance expert at Svenska Handelsbanken was therefore included to give insights into the financial aspects of intermediaries’ role. The following three aspects can explain the result of this thesis; intermediaries can enjoy economies of scale and scope when exporting paper to Nigeria, they have a better capacity of handling barriers to trade and they can lower transaction cost. The case company’s competitive advantage are embedded in six factors; economies of scale and scope, experience and network, good reputation, financing, risk taking and handling of the institutional framework The result implies that certain characteristics of the Nigerian market give rise to a need for intermediaries. As long as the market is distant, relatively small and barriers to trade prevail, the role of the intermediary is likely to remain viable.
Internationalization as a Necessary Evil. Why Japanese SMEs Hesitate to Expand Internationally and the Manager's Influence on Internationalization Decisions
(2016-10-12) Christiansson, Elin; Eliasson, Hanna; University of Gothenburg/Graduate School; Göteborgs universitet/Graduate School
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have traditionally been restricted to their domestic market but as the world becomes increasingly globalized, so do also SMEs. SMEs represent over 95 percent of the business population in most economies, and thus contribute significantly to both domestic and global economic well-being. Japan is a country facing protracted economic stagnation and a shrinking domestic market; factors that ought to drive SMEs to expand internationally. However, Japanese SMEs are in fact less international than SMEs in comparable countries. This study aims to understand and explain why Japanese SMEs hesitate to expand overseas and how managers influence internationalization decisions. The research consists of a multiple case study, incorporating interviews with managers from five Japanese SMEs. The main finding of this study is that internationalization is perceived as a "necessary evil", primarily caused by factors driving SMEs to expand overseas. These factors include the shrinking domestic market, the fact that internationalization often is a result of a suggestion from a network partner rather than an intrinsic desire to expand overseas, and an outspoken domestic focus among SMEs. Moreover, Japanese SMEs lack internal resources, in particular language skills, and find international networking troublesome. Managers were found to greatly influence internationalization decisions, which largely depend on the manager’s own capabilities to engage in international business, attitude towards international markets, previous international experience and degree of proactivity in searching for internationalization opportunities.