Is the export promotion program effective for Japanese companies?

Moriuchi, Yasushi; Miura, Yoshiko

doi:10.51094/jxiv.2509

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Moriuchi, Yasushi School of Business Administration, Senshu University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6258-0237 https://researchmap.jp/ymoriuchi
Miura, Yoshiko Faculty of Business Administration, University of Nagasaki https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7320-1936 https://researchmap.jp/yoshikomiura

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51094/jxiv.2509

キーワード:

Export promotion program、 SMEs、 Direct exporter、 Indirect exporter

抄録

Export promotion programs (EPPs) are widely used to support the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), yet evidence on how firms at different export stages use specific services remains limited. This study examines heterogeneity in EPP usage and export-related capabilities using survey data from Japanese SMEs, classified into direct exporters, indirect exporters, and non-exporters. The results show that overall EPP usage is low across firms, with significant differences observed only for selected services. Non-exporters rely more on market-oriented seminars, whereas direct and indirect exporters make greater use of consultant services, indicating that EPP usage does not increase uniformly with export advancement. In contrast, exporters exhibit consistently higher international business knowledge, stronger executive commitment, and greater export-related production capacity, while market outcomes and technological capabilities are broadly similar across groups. By including non-exporters and indirect exporters, this study shifts attention from program effectiveness to service-specific usage and capability alignment. The findings suggest that export-stage classifications alone provide an incomplete basis for policy targeting and underscore the importance of aligning EPP design with firms’ underlying capabilities and managerial engagement.

利益相反に関する開示

There are no companies or other organizations with which the authors have a conflict of interest that should be disclosed in relation to this manuscript.

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著者の経歴

Miura, Yoshiko、Faculty of Business Administration, University of Nagasaki

Faculty of Business Administration, University of Nagasaki

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