Intervention(s)
The two interventions or treatments are:
i) An evaluation (referred to as “diagnostic”) of the firm’s management practices oriented towards entering foreign markets. This includes analyzing 7 areas of practices: i) strategy, ii) identification and segmentation of markets, iii) design and adaptation of the product, iv) production, v) communication, vi) distribution, and vii) administration. The diagnostic will be performed by specialists in export promotion, commercialization, design, quality, and strategy. The specialist will spend approximately a month studying the firm part-time to assess whether the management practices oriented towards entering foreign markets are sufficient to develop an exporting business model. The results of the diagnostic will be informed to the firms once finished.
ii) Out of the firms that receive the diagnostic, a sub-group will be randomly selected to receive another intervention (referred to as “technical assistance”). The technical assistance consists on a training program designed to inform and assist firms on implementation of important factors that play a significant part on successfully exporting, such as international standards of quality and information on relevant markets. The diagnostic will be performed by specialists in export promotion, commercialization, design, quality, and strategy. The specialist will spend six months assisting the firm part-time to asses whether the management practices oriented towards entering foreign markets are sufficient to develop an exporting business model.
The number of firms that expressed interest in participating in the program is 213. Every firm will receive the diagnostic and a sub-group will be randomly selected to receive the technical assistance as well. This leaves us with two groups: first, a group that receives the diagnostic but does not receive technical assistance, and second, a group that receives both the diagnostic and technical assistance.