Influences of international orientation and export commitment on the export performance of emerging market SMEs

Abstract

In the past few years, the internationalisation of small and medium-sized firms (SME) has accelerated, evolving from a slow and gradual process. Many studies indicate that the faster pace of internationalisation of SMEs may be related to more experienced executives engaging in international activities. The international orientation of SME managers seems to represent a basic condition for the export performance of SMEs. Other studies indicate that the export performance of SMEs would be influenced by the commitment of organisational resources to export activities. Based on a survey involving 540 Brazilian exporting SMEs, this paper aims to evaluate the role of international orientation and export commitment in export performance. The results indicate that international orientation does not directly affect export performance but rather suggests an influence on the commitment to export activity of SMEs. We found that SME export commitment influences export performance.