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Determinants of Export Sales Forecast Performance: Some Preliminary Evidence from UK Exporters

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Europe in the Global Competition

Abstract

Forecasting has been described as “driving a car blindfolded and following directions being given by a person looking out of the back of a car” (Anon. — quoted in Perry, 1994). Despite the problems faced when predicting the future, the literature agrees that sales forecasting is a key element in the planning process of organisations (e.g. Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1987). Sales forecasts are “recognized as being the basis of a variety of business planning and control activities” (Lawless, 1990, p. 2) and, hence, the preparation of export sales forecasts is essential for companies engaged in exporting. However, the role of forecasting in export planning has received only scant attention. This is rather surprising since the purpose of sales forecasting is to reduce the uncertainty “by predicting what will be sold to whom and when” (McHughes, 1987, pp. 17–18). Given that exporting is an important activity for many companies (e.g. Gourlay, 1995; Cassell, 1996) and that planning for export operations takes place in an environment typically characterised by a high degree of uncertainty (Gillespie, 1989; Raven et al, 1994), the preparation of accurate sales forecasts becomes essential for companies engaged in exporting.

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Authors
  1. Adamantios Diamantopoulos
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  2. Heidi Winklhofer
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Sabine Urban

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Diamantopoulos, A., Winklhofer, H. (1997). Determinants of Export Sales Forecast Performance: Some Preliminary Evidence from UK Exporters. In: Urban, S. (eds) Europe in the Global Competition. Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-10006-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-10006-5_11

  • Publisher Name: Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-409-13434-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-663-10006-5

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