Psychic Distance, its Impact and Coping Modes

John Child, Suzana B. Rodrigues and J. George Frynas
Additional contact information
John Child: University of Birmingham
Suzana B. Rodrigues: University of Birmingham
J. George Frynas: Middlesex University

Management International Review, 2009, vol. 49, issue 2, No 4, 199-224

Abstract: Abstract This paper adopts an interpretative focus in addressing SME decision makers’ perceptions of psychic distance. It draws on empirical evidence from British SMEs exporting to Brazil. The study also addresses the hitherto neglected question of how SMEs cope with the difficulties of engaging in international business with psychically distant countries. It discusses the implications of its cognitive approach and findings for further research and conceptual development. Results indicate the relevance of a broad-based multi-dimensional interpretation of psychic distance. Distance dimensions also have a differential impact on doing business with Brazil, although a strong socio-institutional cluster appears. Further exploration of the understandings that SME decision-makers have of psychic distance-related impacts and the possibilities of coping with these, illustrate how they attempt to bridge psychic distance features or adopt avoidance measures.

Keywords: Brazil; Coping strategies; Exporting; Interpretation; Psychic distance; SMEs; UK (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (38)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11575-008-0136-3 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:manint:v:49:y:2009:i:2:d:10.1007_s11575-008-0136-3

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/journal/11575

DOI: 10.1007/s11575-008-0136-3

Access Statistics for this article

Management International Review is currently edited by Michael-Jörg Oesterle and Joachim Wolf

More articles in Management International Review from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().