Determinants of the Propensity to Export: The Case of Small Firms in the Diesel Engine and Chemicals Industries in Gujarat1

Abstract

While much has been written about ’entrepreneurial traits’, attempts to analyse whether, and to what extent, these traits determine the sectoral choice of an entrepreneur have been few and far between. Using a sample of small-scale enterprises in Gujarat, one of the most industrialised states in India, this paper attempts to examine the discriminating characteristics of exporting and non-exporting firms in terms of entrepreneurial attributes.