Can export performance be explained by attitudinal differences?

There are striking differences in the performances of the UK and West German mechanical engineering industries. This paper suggests that attitudes of senior management of both countries can explain a large proportion of these differences. Focusing primarily on export performance, 81 variables collected from 210 companies are analysed. In seven major areas the attitudes of both groups of executives are significantly apart. Based on these results, it is possible to correctly classify 89 of the companies as belonging to the UK or West German mechanical engineering industries.