Internationalisation of small and medium New Zealand wineries: An exploratory study

Authors

Abel Duarte Alonso, Edith Cowan University

Document Type

Journal Article

Publisher

eContent Management P/L

Faculty

Faculty of Business and Law

School

School of Marketing, Tourism and Leisure

RAS ID

10755

Comments

Alonso, A. D. (2010). Internationalisation of small and medium New Zealand wineries: An exploratory study. Small Enterprise Research, 17(1), 58-73. Available here

Abstract

Internationalisation strategies, such as exports, present business and growth opportunities for many enterprises, including those small and medium. In recent years, many of these small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have become predominant in New Zealand’s burgeoning wine sector. Despite the importance that the growth of this group represents, in terms of their contribution to New Zealand’s economy, little has been reported to date small and medium winery operators, particularly from an academic perspective. Lack of academic research is obvious concerning operators’ involvement, intentions or perspectives on internationalisation strategies. This study examines these dimensions from a group of 82 small and medium New Zealand wineries. The findings demonstrate that the majority of the participating operators are currently involved in internationalisation efforts (i.e. exports). However, respondents also indicate challenges in the form of high government taxes and in marketing their wines. With the potential growth in production and increasingly recognised quality of New Zealand wines, the need to develop, maintain and improve international marketing channels becomes crucial for the future of much of the nation’s wine sector.

DOI

10.5172/ser.17.1.58