US Bankers' Attitudes and Internationalisation: The Case of the Export Trading Company Act Available to Purchase

A bank's attitude towards export‐stimulating legislation is influenced by various stages of bank internationalisation and it can be concluded that internationalisation factors which have helped researchers explain export behaviour and attitudes among manufacturing firms have worked equally well for the banking industry. A survey of 600 US banks (drawing a response rate of 42 per cent) into bankers' attitudes to the Export Trading Company Act (ETCA) of 1982, also has implications for government policy in that size of bank is useful for segmentation and thus export promotion purposes: large banks are favourable towards ETCA, while small banks are largely unaware of the legislation.