Abstract

PurposeThe most commonly used segmentation approach to understand information acquisition behavior in the exporting context is to group individuals/firms on a variety of demographic and psychographic variables. This paper argues that while psychographic and demographic segmentation provide descriptive information about who are likely to engage in information search, they are insufficient to provide insights into why individuals search.Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon the applied psychology literature, an integrative framework using the key constructs of motivation and cognitive ability is developed that conceptualizes the influences of and outcomes from information acquisition.Practical implicationsBy studying information acquisition within the context of the interactions between motivation and ability, normative insights can be gained on the likelihood of management's active participation in information search. The author develops a typology for the nature of information acquisition to explain the behaviors of user firms with respect to government‐sponsored export programs/services.Originality/valueThis paper attempts to make two contributions to the export behavior literature: by setting the stage for a more multi‐disciplinary analytical and deliberate approach to export information acquisition with respect to identifying relevant variables as antecedents to motivation and cognitive ability to search, and developing a conceptual framework for addressing their relationship to export performance; and advancing research propositions that facilitate empirical testing of these relationships in future research.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.