An investigation into the strategies adopted by Maltese firms after EU accession

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the strategies adopted by well-established Maltese companies in preparation for Malta’s accession to the European Union and investigates how these strategies have performed for these companies in the ten years that have passed since Malta became a member of the European Union. The dissertation starts with a literature review of the concepts of entrepreneur, innovation, networking, strategies, changes and competitive advantage. These concepts are a central theme of this dissertation as they formed the basis for the preparation of the interview questions as well as the backdrop for the analysis of the findings. A main aspect of the research carried out in preparation for this dissertation was the carrying out of semi-structured interviews with four well-established companies that operate in different sectors in the local industry. For the purposes of this dissertation, the companies chosen had to be operating prior to 2004. It is also worth pointing out that two of the four companies examined are registered in and operate from Gozo. This dissertation analyses the information gathered during these interviews by comparing the case studies. Through this analysis this dissertation builds a picture of how these Maltese companies were affected by Malta’s accession to the EU and how the respective management teams prepared for and reacted to the implications of this accession. This analysis concludes that, although each company had to face challenges specific to the sector in which it operates, the main factors that affected all the companies examined were (a) the changes in the regulatory framework and (b) the implications of operating in a common market. Furthermore, the analysis concludes that the main challenge facing these companies today is the lack of enforcement with regards to all operators in their respective sectors.