Export Managers Research Articles

Relational flexibility norms and relationship-building capabilities as a mediating mechanism in export performance: insights from exporting SMEs in an emerging economy, Peru

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyse the mediating and moderating effects of relational flexibility norms on relationship building capacities and export performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study followed a quantitative and cross-sectional approach. The analysis was applied to 95 Peruvian Exporting SMEs which were examined through structural equation modelling (SEM) using AMOS 24.0 statistical package. The responses were gathered through telephone and personal interviews which were tested using the Mann–WhitneyUtest, finding no statistically significant differences.FindingsThe main finding of the study is to demonstrate the indirect effect of relational flexibility norms on the export performance of SMEs through relationship-building capabilities. In this way, these capabilities become very important variables in the export management of SMEs, since they directly affect the relationship of the Exporter–Importer dyad.Research limitations/implicationsOne of the limitations is the cross-sectional type study that applies to the short-term effects of relational norms. Organizational characteristics and other factors that may affect export performance should also be considered in future research, as well as longitudinal studies should be developed.Practical implicationsThe study allows SMEs to focus management efforts on strengthening the relationship – building capabilities, which are very important given SMEs' resource constraints. Therefore, an adequate management of relations with importers can contribute to the reduction of control and coordination costs; and have a positive impact on export performance. Similarly, the study contributes to the management of export promotion by suggesting that one area to be prioritized is the strengthening of the relationship capacities of exporting SMEs.Originality/valueThe study provides the analysis of the mediating effect of the relationship-building capability between relational flexibility and export performance. In this way, it enriches the theoretical analysis and contributes with the empirical evidence of an emerging country like the case of Peru.

Microfoundations of firm capabilities in the context of international business

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how employees in export departments help firms develop dynamic capabilities that drive firm performance in global markets. It draws from the previous scholarship in organizational behavior and international business.Design/methodology/approachSince microfoundations of firm capabilities have not received adequate attention in the context of international business, a qualitative research was carried out by conducting semistructured interviews with export managers to provide new theoretical and practical insights about the role of export department employees in developing firm capabilities.FindingsThe results show that organizational citizenship behavior and communication skills are the most highlighted characteristics of export department employees that underpin the improvement of firm capabilities, which in turn, boosts export performance. In addition, teamwork emerged as another contributing factor to firm capabilities.Originality/valueThis study addresses the microlevel foundations of firm capabilities within the context of international business by uncovering the characteristics of export department employees and their team-level contributions to the capabilities of exporting firms.

Brexit, the wine sector and organisational resilience: an exploratory study of Spanish Wineries

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of winery owners/managers concerning the impacts of Brexit on the Spanish wine sector and propose a theoretical framework based on the extant organisational resilience literature to facilitate an understanding of this concept. The framework facilitates understanding of this concept through the perspective of winery operators.Design/methodology/approachAttendance at a large Spanish wine fair in 2017 allowed for brief face-to-face interviews with owners and export managers of 156 predominantly micro and small Spanish wineries. The data were analysed through qualitative content analysis.FindingsDespite the general sense of uncertainty and negative perceptions regarding the outcomes of Brexit, the interviews revealed various forms of resilient responses, including ongoing efforts seeking to broaden the scope for exports into new, niche markets alongside more traditional ones. These findings have important implications for businesses engaged in international business, particularly in the wine industry, where the potential challenges resulting from a major political decision can exacerbate existing issues of competition.Originality/valueFrom a practical perspective, this study examines an emerging issue with potential consequences for international business. From a theoretical point of view, the proposed framework provides a baseline to illuminate the understanding of the links and stages following turbulence within organisations. Notably, the activation of responses emphasises the importance of developing a resilient organisational culture, as well as developing internal and enabling factors and bundles of resources that help create firm capabilities.

International Trade and Its Impact on GDP: The Case of India

Balance of trade is an important component to measure the relative strength of the country's economy. Therefore, the proper management of exports and imports is an important issue for a country as it affects Balance of Payments. The objective of this study is to analysis the impact of exports, imports, real exchange rate and consumer price index on GDP. The result of Ordinary Least Square (OLS) indicates that a positive relationship exists between GDP and exports. Similarly, CPI has a significant positive impact on GDP. However, a negative relationship exists between GDP and imports. Likewise, real exchange rate also negatively impacts GDP. The results of the study would help the policymakers in understanding how much these independent variables are responsible for affecting the economic growth in India.

Digitalization and SMEs’ Export Management: Impacts on Resources and Capabilities

IntroductionOver the past decade, the emergence of increasingly powerful digital technologies and digital infrastructures have transformed and continue to transform business processes, organizations, and corporate culture with new innovation processes, marketing models, and types of products/services (Tekic & Koroteev, 2019).One field of literature in particular has further

Family-managed firms and local export spillovers: evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms

ABSTRACT By combining arguments from regional economics and family business research, the aim of this article is to test the relationships among local export spillovers, management characteristics, and export propensity on a large sample of Spanish manufacturing firms over the 2003–2015 period. We find that family-managed firms, compared to their non-family counterparts, benefit more from being located in regions with a high density of exporters. Because of their firm-specific social capital and strong embeddedness in local networks, family-managed firms are better positioned to leverage the spatially bounded flow of knowledge and information in these regions, resulting in a higher likelihood to export than non-family firms. Additionally, our results show that the knowledge spillover effect is stronger for small and low-tech family firms’ export propensity.

The interacting effect of business and cultural distances on relationship management and export performance: the case of wine export between France and China

Purpose This study aims to investigate the interacting effect of two forms of psychic distance (business and cultural) on export relationship management. Specifically, this research examines the moderating role of cultural distance in the effect of business distance on different dimensions of relationship management and financial export performance. Design/methodology/approach This research builds on a sample of 174 French export executives who were asked to rate their views of their relationship with their Chinese business counterpart in the wine trade, and their related performance. Findings A first finding lies in the strong positive effects of relationship management, relationship investment and communication quality on financial export performance. A second and important finding relates to the different effects of the business and cultural dimensions of psychic distance, while the former positively affects relationship management, the latter negatively moderates the effect of business distance on relationship management. Research limitations/implications One limitation pertains to the focus on France and China as the only countries involved in the current research. Future research could investigate whether the results replicate in different countries. Further studies would also be needed to enrich the relationship management dimensions and test whether the effects observed here replicate in relation to other dimensions. Practical implications For export managers, this research offers a better understanding of business and cultural distance, and their effects on relationship structuring. Specifically, the results indicate that cultural distance matters more than business distance, meaning that business distance can help relationship management only when cultural distance is low. In addition, the results indicate that wine producers might gain from communicating openly with their business counterparts, for instance, by clearly explaining the business objectives, or through continuous interactions and temporal and financial investments. Originality/value The originality of this research lies in identifying the interaction effect of the business and cultural dimensions of psychic distance, with cultural distance revealed as a boundary condition for the effects of business distance on relationship management. The inclusion of marketing and financial aspects constitutes a further original aspect.

Foreign Investment and Export Management and Analysis - Kosovo Case

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has a special and specific importance for the Republic of Kosovo taking into account the conditions and economic development, which in turn impact the economic development and social improvement of the country. For the state to have a greater absorption of FDI, significant improvement should be made in improving the management capacity in order to create a motivating environment for foreign investment, which is related to the improvement of macro-factors and microfactors at the country level in order to make the environment as attractive as possible for FDI. The purpose of this paper is to present the trend of FDI, the trend of export with a keen eye on Kosovo and to present the correlation of FDI with export. Firstly, at the beginning of this paper, a theoretical review of the literature on definitions of FDI in economic terms and definitions of export is presented. Secondly, the trend and comparison of FDI and exports over the years is presented. Thirdly, FDI trends in Kosovo were analyzed by the country of origin of these investments, etc. Fourthly, in the context of this paper, an analysis in terms of investment management at the country level in order to create an attractive investment environment was made. Fifthly, as part of this paper, empirical analyzes showing the correlations between FDI and Export in the Kosovo case have been made. FDI trends in Kosovo have been decreasing over the years, which must be improved by creating a motivating environment for both domestic and foreign investors.

The influence on export performance of performance ambiguity among foreign sales agents

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the extent to which exporter difficulties in evaluating foreign sales agent performance affect export performance, either directly or as mediated by opportunism.Design/methodology/approachIn developing the hypotheses, the study integrates transaction cost theory and principal-agent theory. The proposed relationships between the constructs (performance ambiguity, opportunism, and export performance) are examined for a multi-industry sample of Norwegian exporters in their dealings with foreign sales agents. A survey of 410 qualified key informants yielded 101 usable questionnaires – a response rate of 24.6%. Structural equation modeling is used for data analysis and hypothesis testing.FindingsThe analysis finds support for the hypothesis that sales agent performance ambiguity relates negatively to export performance. While performance ambiguity is positively related to sales agent opportunistic behavior, opportunism does not significantly influence export performance. It seems that the adaptation costs created by the evaluation problem are of greater importance in reducing export performance than the costs created by opportunistic behavior.Research limitations/implicationsIn focusing on the core dimensions of sales agent performance in foreign markets, other factors influencing export performance are not included. The fact that small Norwegian firms dominate the sample, further limits application and generalization of the findings. Hence, results should be interpreted with caution and the study considered as investigative. Nevertheless, the results indicate to export managers and theory potentially deteriorating dimensions in the relationship between exporter and foreign independent sales agent.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine how performance ambiguity and opportunistic behavior among foreign sales agents affect export performance. By concentrating on basic deteriorating dimensions, the study adds to the few that focus on inhibiting drivers of exporter – foreign–sales–agent relationships.

A gendered analysis of Spanish SMEs' export managers in externalised channels

A gendered analysis of Spanish SMEs' export managers in externalised channels

Analysis of Fish Export Management in Panipahan, Rokan Hilir, Riau Province

This survey research was conducted in Panipahan, Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau Province, Indonesia on 1 March - 15 July 2019. The purpose of this study was to determine the profile of marine fish export companies, to analyze the management of marine fish exports, and to analyze the contribution of marine fish exports in Panipahan. Respondents consisted of 10 fishermen are determined purposively, and two export companies taken by census. The data collected is analyzed using descriptive methods. The results showed that the marine fish export from Panipahan to Malaysia carried out by two companies. The frequency exports is 15 times a month. The average volume of fish per export is 43.22 tons. The types of fish that are exported are senangin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum), kembung (Scromberomorus sp.), bawal (Pampus argenteus), kelong shrimp (Fenneropenaeus indicus), and bawal bintang (Manta sp.). The contribution of foreign exchange from fish exports of Panipahan was IDR15.322 billion or 38% of the total foreign exchange contributed by Rokan Hilir (IDR40.320 billion).

The Role of Institutions in the Economic Sustainability of Global Value Chains: A Transcendental Phenomenological Analysis of Pakistani Apparel Industry

The geographical spread of the global value chains (GVC) not only makes them complex structures but also raises the challenges of governance for them. Gereffi and Lee (2014) argued that such governance issues may arise from either the vertical (within the structure of the GVC) or the horizontal (from outside) governance of a GVC; and at times, bring the sustainability of GVCs at stake. This study explores the phenomenon in the domain of the horizontal governance, outlining the role of the local institutions and the effects they cast upon the sustainability of the GVCs. This study incorporates the findings derived from transcendental phenomenological analysis (TPA) of the in-depth interviews of twenty-three export managers, working in the apparel firms producing for the GVCs on a long-term basis. The study delivers an explanation of the phenomenon and highlights the role played by the government institutions in it. The essence of this study elaborates the mechanisms of cooperation and coordination between the government institutions and the industry, and the difference in the expected and actual performance of the institutions. It highlights that the government institutions in Pakistan, having rigid culture, are currently not fulfilling the requirements of the apparel production units linked with GVCs; and the behavior of government employees adds to it. The implications emerging from this study, directions for future research and limitations have also been discussed. Besides, the application of NVIVO software to perform the qualitative data analysis (QDA) while performing the TPA adds to the methodological innovation of this study.

Enhance Market Entry Skills for Vietnamese Agricultural Small and Medium Sized Enterprises to Penetrate International Markets

In the era of industrial revolution 4.0, despite of great potential in export of agricultural products, the engagement of Vietnamese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in this activity is rather small and is almost through indirect export. Particularly, the current US-China trade war may lead to more stringent technical barriers to the export of Vietnamese agricultural products when both sides doubt about the origin of Vietnamese agricultural products. In this context, supports provided for Vietnamese SMEs to enhance their export management capacity is necessary. This paper focuses on developing skills to assist SMEs in penetrating international markets such as market research skill and market identification skill. To investigate training needs of Vietnamese SME managers, qualitative methodology with the participation of 124 Vietnamese SME managers was used. The research results are expected to be useful for SMEs, training/consulting institutions as well as government agencies in developing training programs to support Vietnamese SMEs in exporting agricultural products. The paper also makes contribution in developing the body of knowledge related to human resource management in emerging markets such as Vietnam.

The Effects of International Entrepreneurial Orientation and Entrepreneurial Activities on SMEs’ Export Performance

Purpose - Without question, globalization has presented different opportunities to entrepreneurs seeking to expand their companies in foreign markets. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurial activity, information internalization, and product differentiation in export oriented firms. As such, entrepreneurial activities are divided into exploitative and exploratory opportunities. These opportunities are crucial in improving firms’ performance. Design/methodology - A structural questionnaire was developed using 21 factors/indicators from previous researches. The subjects of this study were recruited using convenience sampling in export SMEs in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. Data were collected through visits or e-mails from the export managers, executives, and CEOs of export SMEs in advance. 321 questionnaires were collected over a period of one month. 316 questionnaires were used in the final analysis. Findings - First, International Entrepreneurial-orientation (IE) has a positive effect on the exploration and exploitation of business opportunities. Second, the exploration and exploitation of business opportunities have a positive impact on information internalization. Third, information internalization has a significant effect on product differentiation and plays a mediating role in seeking opportunities, utilizing opportunities, and differentiating products. Originality/value - This study contributes to the development of academic discussions by explaining existing research gaps. First, there is currently a lack of research focusing precisely on the product differentiation capability of SMEs in manufacturing field in terms of IE. To bridge these gaps, we examined the entrepreneurial factors impact on product differentiation and tries to expand the discussion about the internationalization of SMEs, which were mainly focused on IT companies, and manufacturing companies. Second, there is no intuitive explanation regarding international entrepreneurial activity in terms of exploration and exploitation within existing. In this study, international entrepreneurship activities were classified in terms of exploration and exploitation.

Green business strategy and export performance

PurposeBuilding upon the insights of the resource-based view and contingency theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the boundary conditions of green business strategy on the export financial performance of firms from an emerging economy.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study was conducted to test the conceptual model. In total, 224 questionnaires were collected from exporting manufacturing companies and were analyzed using full information maximum likelihood.FindingsThe results of the study demonstrate that green business strategy has a strong and positive relationship with export financial performance. Also, environmental orientation and cost leadership play a significant and positive moderating role in this relationship. However, green product differentiation is complementary with green business strategy only when a cost leadership strategy is also maintained.Practical implicationsThe study has practical implications since it identifies green business strategy as an important lever for emerging export managers. More specifically, they have to be aware of the challenges when they operate outside the cost leadership boundaries and should actively seek to develop the environmental orientation of employees and managers.Originality/valueThis study reveals the relationship between green business strategy and export success for emerging country exporters that are understudied and face unique challenges. In particular, the authors explore the contingency factors that strengthen or weaken the relationship and provide additional insight to the question: “when does it pay to be green?” for exporters from emerging economies.

Do Export Learning Processes Affect Sales Growth in Exporting Activities?

The understanding of experiential learning through export learning process (XLP), and its outcomes, is limited in the international marketing literature. Using multisource, time-lagged data of exporting firms in the United Kingdom and China, this study finds that XLP is positively associated with marketing strategy adaptation for both U.K. and Chinese exporters. Results suggest contrasting moderating effects of experiential knowledge resources (i.e., psychic dispersion, multinationality, and duration) and strategy adaptation on the relationship between XLP and export sales growth in the two samples. In the U.K. sample, the authors observe a positive moderation effect of psychic dispersion and negative moderation effects of multinationality and duration. For the China sample, they find the exact opposite pattern of moderation effects for the experiential knowledge resources. Marketing strategy adaptation plays a negative moderation role in the China sample but has no such effect in the U.K. sample. The study has implications for theory development on, and the productive management of, processes of learning export management.

Sustaining Small Exporters’ Performance: Capturing Heterogeneous Effects of Government Export Assistance Programs on Global Value Chain Informedness

The previous literature extensively highlighted the importance of export promotion programs (EPPs) provided by governments to enhance small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) export performance. However, the literature still (1) lacks sufficient depth in analysing the way different types of EPPs sustain SME export performance and (2) suffers from the absence of an EPP portfolio that guides an efficient resource allocation for different EPP types. To fill these gaps, our study (1) developed a research model that integrates three different types of EPPs and (2) tested their indirect impacts on sustainable export performance via global value chain informedness, which is a largely ignored but indispensable capability in exporting. Using a partial least-squares equation model (PLS SEM) method to analyze 156 samples collected from 1st of October to 31st of December of 2018 by accessing Korean SMEs’ export managers, our model addresses the different roles of EPP types and also the part of the SME value chain informedness that acts as a critical enabler for sustaining export performance. Furthermore, by complementing the PLS SEM with an importance and performance analysis matrix (IPA matrix), we provide an action plan that guides an appropriate resource allocation to different types of EPPs. In theory, we provide an explanation for how different EPPs work for SMEs via the value chain informedness of SMEs for the export performance. We further capture such EPPs operating over the longer term, with a lasting export performance of SMEs so as to supply a sounder theoretical rationale for the EPP provision. The action plan delivers strategic implications for policy makers dealing with export-assistance programs operations. With the importance of global network involvement and communication with foreign partners, the incorporation of value chain informedness uncovers the necessity of interfirm network-focused informedness in international business literature.

Determinants of Firm’s Export Performance in China’s Automobile Industry

The automobile industry has significantly contributed towards China’s economy. After producing approximately 24.5 million vehicles in 2015, China’s automobile industry has achieved its greatest height by emerging worldwide as the top automobile producer. However, China’s automobile industry could not sustain this achievement and it witnessed a sudden growth rate decrease in 2016–2017, reflecting their poor export performance. To address this problem, the prime objective of this research is to explore the roles of total quality management (TQM), entrepreneurial orientation (EO), export market orientation (EMO), brand orientation (BO) and cleaner production (CP) in firm export performance (FEP). For this reason, a quantitative research approach with cross-sectional research design was adopted by gathering the data from 347 respondents working as export managers at Chinese automobile companies via simple random technique. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) through software smartPLS-3.2.7 employed to analyze data. Results revealed that the TQM, EO, EMO, BO, and CP has a significant association with FEP. Additionally, findings confirmed CP as a moderating variable that contributes positively to FEP. The research has eminently contributed to the export performance of the automobile industry, specifically in China. It is very beneficial to practitioners in the Chinese automobile industry as it will assist them in regaining and exceeding their record export performance while also contributes to resource-based-view theory.

The Paper Investigates the Role of Remote Working in Export Management, Determining How Virtual Organizations can Manage Remote Working Effectively

The Paper Investigates the Role of Remote Working in Export Management, Determining How Virtual Organizations can Manage Remote Working Effectively

Family influence on internationalization: an analysis of risk acceptance

This article aims to contribute to the literature on family business (FBs), particularly from the perspective of commitment and influence of family on the FB internationalization regarding risk acceptance. Qualitative in nature, the study involved the use of a single longitudinal case study, based on in-depth interviews, storytelling and secondary data. Primary data were collected through semi-structured personal interviews with the company’s board chairman and vice-chairman, commercial director, European director and export manager; and secondary data were obtained using documental and scientific sources. It could be seen that family commitment and ownership influenced the internationalization process due to the proactivity of its European descendant founders, and particularly because in this company studied the process was initiated by a non-family member. However, family participation encourages risk acceptance, since the attachment to the family business creates an eagerness for growth. The findings corroborate the characteristics proposed by the Uppsala School, which claims that internationalization occurs in an unplanned, opportunistic manner, following sequential phases, through incremental learning and via the establishment of networks.