Condicionantes da internacionalização e desempenho exportador: evidências no setor sucroalcooleiro brasileiro.

Abstract

This research aims at analyzing the main characteristics of the constraints of internationalization and its associations with the export performance of companies operating in Brazilian sugarcane sector. The theoretical framework includes the major theories of internationalization and the conditions that emerge of them: location, tangible resources, intangible resources, management choices, learning, external agents and external context. The research method used was a cross sectional survey. The nonprobabilistic sample obtained was 84 valid questionnaires. For data analysis descriptive statistics techniques and measures were used from the standpoint of SPSS software. Analysis was conducted following the descriptive technique. The results highlighted that the key concepts of internationalization, such as they are described in their theories of origin, not always presented similarities with the case studied. Such evidence suggests that the performance and export strategies are related, especially regarding the constraints of location, tangible resources, learning and external agents. There is claim to future studies that deepen the findings of this research, as exampled by the specific regional and comparative studies on the behavior of each factor analyzed. The Brazilian sugar and ethanol sector, according to the respondents, presents satisfactory structure for the export activity with characteristics of cooperation between the companies. Among the anylised theories considered on this study, the Porter`s (1989, 1991, 1999) Competitive Diamond is the one tha fits better to the internationalizations studies on the brazilian sugar-cane sector. Especially regarding the considerations of theories of transportation facilities, favorable soil and wheter to cultivation, the interaction beetween related industries, the availability of production technology and human resources.