The effect of learning orientation and knowledge management on sustainable export performance : the moderated mediating effect of collaborative innovation and supply chain capabilities

Abstract

Ability to manage the supply chain in a sustainable way has attracted attention towards firms across all industries including agriculture. Meeting economic, environmental and social standards at all nodes of the supply chain ensures that minimum sustainable performance of a firm is reached. There is consensus in marketing literature that performance can be achieved through learning, innovation and development of capabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to examine the effect of learning orientation, knowledge management, collaborative innovation and supply chain capabilities on sustainable export performance of small firms in Kenya and Uganda as participants in global supply chains. First, this study builds on insights from prior literature and triangulates the relational view, resource complementarity view and dynamic capability approach to develop a conceptual model of determinants of sustainable export performance of small exporting firms in Kenya and Uganda. The central premise of model in that learning orientation affects sustainable export performance through collaborative innovation and supply chain capabilities. The model also posits that, the mediation effect of collaborative innovation and supply chain capabilities depends on the level of knowledge management of small firms. Second, the thesis provides an empirical test of the proposed model by gathering data from 535 small exporting firms in Kenya and Uganda using a structured questionnaire. The unit of analyses were small firms exporting fish and horticultural products. New measures for collaborative innovation and sustainable export performance were developed and validated. Measures for learning orientation, supply chain capabilities and knowledge management were adapted from literature. Data was analysed using SPSS 20 and PROCESS v2.10 macro. Results indicate a positive significant effect of learning orientation on sustainable export performance. Both collaborative innovation and supply chain capabilities were found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between learning orientation and sustainable export performance. Knowledge management was also found to moderate the relationship between learning orientation, collaborative innovation and supply chain capabilities. In conclusion, the thesis identified that learning orientation, collaborative innovation, knowledge management and supply chain capabilities determine sustainable export performance of small firms. The study extends literature by developing measures for collaborative innovation and sustainable export performance for small firms.