How does a firm choose a new geographical market?

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to discuss how a firm chooses a new geographical market. To answer this research question, we conducted a qualitative study with a case study approach. The company studied was A Poveira, a Portuguese fish cannery. We use mostly primary type of data, using semi-structured interviews as the main source. Nonetheless, we also use secondary type of data and direct observation to collect additional data. The findings show that many theories discussed in the literature review were verified in the case of our company, while others were rejected. It was also possible to rank the importance of the criteria used by the company to choose a new geographical market and the connection among the different criterions. The cultural barriers are often heavy and costly; however they are not sufficient to make a market inviable since the company has the ability to overcome them. The political and legal systems might also affect the decision of choosing a new geographical. However, factors such as previous experience, network and economic attractiveness of the host market are more critical in the choice of a new geographical market. Finally, factors such as language or geographic distance have little or none weight in that decision.

Date of Award	17 Feb 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Laure Leglise (Supervisor)