ENTRY OF THE STATE OF PARAIBA FOOTWEAR MANUFACTURERS INTO INTERNATIONAL MARKET

Abstract

The footwear sector in the State of Paraiba has developed considerably and contributed significantly to the generation of employment and income among the local population.  The State Government has given priority to the development of this sector. This paper discusses the behaviour of the footwear manufacturers in the State of Paraiba in relation to the process of internationalisation.  In accordance with the research objectives, the firms formally registered in the three main footwear manufacturing centres within the State were investigated:  João Pessoa, Campina Grande and Patos. It was found that the entry of the manufacturers within this sector is recent and characterised by managers with insufficient qualifications and knowledge to initiate the process of putting those firms in the international market. The investigated manufacturers initiated the process of internationalisation by participating in national trade fairs, like: Francal and Couromaoda, and in almost none of these manufacturers was there an independent attempt made to enter into the international market, not even to take the initiative when their international clients stopped acquiring their products.