Export training: a preliminary investigation of Turkish companies

Purpose – The purpose of the research is to identify the companies' export training needs, and also to determine their preferences regarding export training subjects, methods, institutions and trainers. Design/methodology/approach – The face‐to‐face interview with company managers and owners was carried out with the pre‐tested questionnaire. Findings – The companies need training in export marketing subjects as well as the technical and practical dimensions of exporting. More active and practical issues and methods rather than traditional ones are preferable for the companies. The companies mostly prefer İGEME (Export Promotion Center of Turkey) as their export training provider. The companies in the research rank export experts as the most preferable type of trainer. Research limitations/implications – The primary limitation of the study was that it was carried out on companies operating in Turkey's Aegean Region. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to fit all regions. Originality/value – The literature contains no studies that fully investigate this subject. This research makes a valuable contribution to the recognition of this knowledge gap, experienced equally by developed and developing countries.