ABSTRACT
Over the last five decades the rapid growth in international trade has stimulated researchers to examine issues related to the process of international exchange (IE). Normally, IE involves a minimum of two players, the exporter and importer, that are located in different countries. Much of the research, however, has focused on the exporter's behavior and less attention has been directed to the importer's orientations. Liang and Parkhe ( 1997), for example, found that over the 1991-1995 period only 21 articles contain the key word "importer," compared to hundreds of articles addressing the "exporter." A lack of interest in studying the importer's behavior and decision patterns may stem from the prevailing thought that "exporting" is the engine for development (e.g., Feder, 1983; IMF, 2000; Michaely, 1977). Liang and Parkhe (1997) believe that the neglect of studies investigating importer behavior stems from the flawed assumptions that: (1) exporters are the driving forces behind international trade transactions, and (2) importers follow the neoclassical economics theory of "rational choice" in international sourcing. It is for these reasons that exporter, rather than importer, behavior is widely and extensively investigated. Furthermore, there is a widespread belief among some scholars and policymakers that import could lead to trade imbalance.
