The Termination of State-Run International Trade Programs in California: Perspectives on Contributing Factors and Future Policy Options

The paper examines developments that led to the termination of California’s major state-run international trade programs managed by the now defunct Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency and provides perspectives on future policy options. Study findings indicate that what the academic literature refers to as “theory failure” and “implementation failure,” along with deficiencies in leadership and organizational culture, must be seen as the major reasons for the programs’ elimination. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2005