The First Phase of the Internationalisation Process : ExportDeterminants in Firms of the Former Soviet Union

A fundamental part of the transition process is for firms to integrate with the world economy. After having been denied access for many years to world markets under totalitarian rule and the auspices of the CMEA, this will require significant advances in labour productivity, product technology, marketing and managerial know how.Following the collapse of the CMEA and the ensuing decline in domestic demand producers in economies of transition have been forced to export to developed markets, in particular to the EU. Some economies of Central and Eastern Europe (in particular Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic) have successfully managed to reorientate their trade to Western Europe. In contrast Russia and the European CIS have lagged behind.This study attempts to examine those firms in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus which have succeeded to export to the West. By employing linear, logistic and autoregression factors which figure in the firm's decision process of exporting shall be identified. The impact of ownership, firm characteristics and managerial attitudes on a firm's export propensity and intensity shall also be discussed....