Export Market Ventures Research Articles

The Market Orientation–Performance Relationship: The Empirical Link in Export Ventures

This study examines the empirical link between three dimensions of market orientation, namely, customer orientation, competitor orientation and interfunctional coordination, and overall export marketing performance in Indonesian export market ventures. The study was based on an empirical investigation of firms involved in exporting to foreign countries from Indonesia. The primary data for the study were collected from a self‐administered mail survey of 877 export market ventures from the manufacturing sector in Indonesia resulting in a sample of 109 usable responses being returned. From the application of the multiple regression analysis it was concluded that all three dimensions of market orientation had a significant impact on export marketing performance when measured via a composite measure of export marketing performance that included economic indicators, strategic indicators, and satisfaction with performance. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A resource-based approach to the study of export marketing from Australia

This study examines the empirical links between industry structure, strategy, marketing capabilities and performance in Australian export ventures. Data were gathered via a self-administered mail survey directed to the Chief Executive Officer of 1853 export market ventures. The sample came from a wide cross-section of industries and was provided by a government department. The findings indicate that as far as industry structure was concerned, the power of buyers and the threat of new entrants as well as marketing capabilities and whether or not the firm pursued a product innovation, premium quality, corporate image or niche strategy all had a significant impact on export marketing performance.

The Empirical Link Between Resources, Networks and Export Marketing Performance and the Implications for Developing Countries

This study examines the empirical link between organizational resources (production resources, financial resources, human resources, R&D resources, and reputation resources), networks (institutional, government, and research) and export marketing performance in export market ventures in a developing country context. The study was based on an empirical investigation of firms involved in exporting to foreign countries from Thailand. The primary data for the study were collected from a self-administered mail survey of 950 export market ventures from the manufacturing sector in Thailand. The study findings suggest that financial, human, R&D resources, and all networks had a significant positive impact on export marketing performance.

The marketing capabilities-performance relationship: the empirical link in export ventures

This study examines the empirical link between marketing capabilities (product capability, pricing capability, distribution capability and promotion capability) and export marketing performance in export market ventures in a developing country context. The study was based on an empirical investigation of firms involved in exporting to foreign countries from Thailand. The study findings suggest that product, pricing and promotion capability all had a significant positive impact on export marketing performance. The study findings further suggest that marketing capabilities is a multi-dimensional construct.

Incentives to export for Australian export market ventures

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact that various incentives to export have on the export marketing performance of Australian export market ventures.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on an empirical investigation of firms involved in exporting to foreign countries from Australia. The sample of firms came from a wide cross section of industries. The list of firms comprising the sample is provided by a state government department.FindingsThe paper indicates that the export marketing performance of Australian export market ventures is positively influenced by the export incentive of the chance to diversify into new markets.Research limitations/implicationsFrom a methodological perspective, a potential concern may be that the measures are all self‐reported. Consequently, the relationships tested may be susceptible to the influence of common method variance.Practical implicationsThe importance of diversifying into new markets is identified. Management should consider taking international expansion opportunities because a pre‐occupation with the domestic market can make local firms vulnerable to other growth‐oriented foreign firms and economies of scale via increased productive capacity can assist in reducing the costs of production thereby enabling firms to be more competitive in the global market as well as in the firm's own domestic market.Originality/valueA major contribution of this paper is that it validates a measure for examining the different incentives to export. Furthermore, it examines the relationship between incentives to export and export marketing performance identifying the chance to diversify into new markets as the key predictor of export marketing performance.

The Internet, Strategy and Performance: A Study of Australian Export Market Ventures

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of the Internet, firm-specific characteristics, market characteristics, and export marketing strategy on export marketing performance. The unit of analysis was an individual product/market export venture. Data were gathered via a self-administered mail survey of 315 Australian firms involved in exporting. The findings indicate that, when the Internet was used for communication purposes and to provide the firm with a competitive advantage, it had a significant impact on export marketing performance. Firm-specific characteristics and export marketing strategy also had a significant impact on export marketing performance.

Managerial, organizational, and external drivers of sales effectiveness in export market ventures

The authors extend sales management theory by considering the role of export sales management in small- and medium-sized firms, and they develop an integrated model of export sales organization effectiveness. Specifically, the authors test 16 hypotheses that examine the relationships among export sales management control, export territory, psychic distance, export sales performance, and export sales organization effectiveness. Using a mail-survey approach, data were collected from U.K.-based export sales managers in 146 direct exporters of industrial products. Though certain anomalies are observed, the research findings support many of the hypothesized associations, confirming the robustness of existing sales management concepts and theories in an export-marketing context.

The internet and export marketing performance

PurposeThis study seeks to examine the empirical link in export market ventures of the relationship between the internet (when it is used for communication, networking, market research, sales, image enhancement, cost reduction and competitive advantage purposes) and export marketing performance.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered via a self‐administered mail survey of Australian exporters. The sample consisted of 133 Australian firms coming from a wide cross‐section of industries.FindingsThe findings indicate that, when the internet was used to achieve a competitive advantage for the firm and reduce the costs associated in doing international business, these uses of the internet were significant in discriminating between high and low export marketing performance. Furthermore, the international experience of the export venture's management was a significant factor in discriminating between high and low export marketing performance.Research limitations/implicationsFrom a methodological perspective, a potential concern may be that the measures are all self‐reported. Consequently, the relationships tested may be susceptible to the influence of common method variance. Evidence has been provided that, when the internet is used for cost reduction purposes and as a competitive weapon, this will have a positive impact on export marketing performance.Originality/valueA major contribution of this study is that it re‐validates measures for the different uses of the internet, namely, communication, networking, market research, sales, image enhancement, cost reduction and competitive advantage.

The Impact of Barriers to Export on Export Marketing Performance

This study examines the impact that various barriers to export have on the export marketing performance of Queensland export market ventures. This study considers a comprehensive set of potential barriers to export identified from the literature. The unit of analysis was firms engaged in exporting to foreign markets. Data were gathered via a self-administered mail survey directed to the Managing Director of 689 Queensland firms, identified by a Queensland State Government department as being involved in exporting. The firms comprising the sample were manufacturing firms. The findings indicate that export venture management characteristics, and adapting to foreign market needs as barriers to export, were the significant predictors of export marketing performance.

The RELQUAL scale: a measure of relationship quality in export market ventures

In this article, the authors develop a new measurement scale (the RELQUAL scale) to assess the degree of relationship quality between the exporting firm and the importer. Relationship quality is presented as a high-order concept. Findings reveal that a better quality of the relationship results in a greater (1) amount of information sharing, (2) communication quality, (3) long-term orientation, as well as (4) satisfaction with the relationship. The four multi-item scales show strong evidence of reliability as well as convergent, discriminant and nomological validity in a sample of British exporters. Findings also reveal that relationship quality is positively and significantly associated with export performance. Suggestions for applying the measure in future research are presented.

The Relqual Scale: A Measure of Relationship Quality in Export Market Ventures

In this article the authors develop a new measurement scale (the RELQUAL scale) to assess the degree of relationship quality between the exporting firm and the importer. Relationship quality is presented as a high order concept. Findings reveal that a better quality of the relationship results in a greater 1) amount of information sharing, 2) communication quality, 3) long-term orientation, as well as 4) satisfaction with the relationship. The four multi-item scales show strong evidence of reliability as well as convergent, discriminant and nomological validity in a sample of British exporters. Findings also reveal that relationship quality is positively and significantly associated with export performance. Suggestions for applying the measure in future research are presented.

Examining the Antecedents of Export Marketing Performance of Thai Export Market Ventures

ABSTRACT This study identifies the statistically significant predictors of export marketing performance for Thai export firms. The export performance scale developed by Cavusgil and Zou (1994) is refined and tested in Thailand. A set of potential determinants of export marketing performance is considered and the unit of analysis is the individual product-market export venture. The data for this study were collected from a mail questionnaire survey of 1,000 Thai export firms in Thailand. The sample consisted of 151 small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The results support the contention that competition, commitment, export market characteristics and product characteristics are the statistically significant predictors of export marketing performance for Thai export firms.

Export Marketing Performance: A Study of Thailand Firms

For significant advances in export marketing theory to be achieved, a more integrated approach needs to be taken to the conceptualization and measurement of export marketing constructs (Cavusgil and Zou 1994). A fundamental part of such an approach is the refinement and validation of measurement scales across different national settings. The validation of measurement scales can play an important part in advancing marketing theory by establishing reliable scales that can be used in more than one country. Therefore, international researchers should be encouraged to use similar measurement instruments and to compare findings across national settings, leading eventually to a more systematic and fruitful development of export marketing theory. The purpose of this article is to identify the key factors that influence export marketing performance. The study reports the process of refining and testing the validity of the export marketing performance scale developed by Cavusgil and Zou (1994). The Cavusgil and Zou (1994) scale was chosen, as it is considered the most comprehensive export marketing performance scale in both content and form in strategy, management, marketing, and exporting (Styles 1998). However, the validity of the scale for use across different countries has yet to be investigated. Foreign markets increasingly have become more viable in the past two decades; therefore, it is important to identify the key factors influencing the export marketing performance of export market ventures. Three distinctive features should be noted from the outset. First, the unit of analysis, as with the Cavusgil and Zou (1994) study, is an individual product-market export venture of the firm, which is defined as the marketing of a specific product in a specific export market. The case where a product is marketed in two export markets or where two products are marketed in the same export market is considered two export ventures. Second, export marketing performance is determined by the accomplishment of strategic as well as economic objectives. Third, data has been collected through a survey being directed to the marketing manager of the firm in the sample. The specific national setting for the examination reported here is Thailand, where interest in marketing performance research among academics is increasing (for example, Julian and Ramaseshan 1999). The population used for the validation is small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), defined as firms with fewer than 500 employees (OECD 1994; Styles 1998). Export research focusing on this group of firms is of interest (1) because the potential growth in exports is perhaps the greatest among this group (Walters and Samiee 1990) and (2) because of the suggestion that SMEs may operate in quite different ways than larger firms (Carson 1990), thus requiring that they be studied separately. Literature Review Though past research has identified the key determinants of export marketing performance, there are at least three issues in previous studies that weaken their findings. The first is the level of analysis. With few exceptions, previous studies have been conducted at the overall firm level. As a result, the determinants of export marketing performance were conceptualized as firm-specific characteristics. An underlying theoretical justification for firm-level studies is the theory of internalization (Beamish and Banks 1987; Buckley and Casson 1985; Rugman 1981), which argues that in imperfect markets, firms should internalize the firm-specific advantages, both tangible and intangible, to extract maximum economic rent. Because firm-specific advantages are derived not only from the development and marketing of a particular product but also from the total learning process of the firm, export performance should be investigated at the firm level. Though these studies have contributed to our knowledge of export behavior, there are notable limitations associated with firm-level investigations of export marketing performance. …

Sources of competitive advantage in high performing exporting companies

The requirements for success in export market ventures are likely to differ not merely from the critical success factors in the domestic market, but also from the policies effective in the fully internationalized or global enterprise. Exporting activities are a vitally important area of international business, where the foundations for superior performance are not well understood. A recent study of export market ventures in the U.K. links superior exporting performance to the establishment of key competitive advantages, which may be traced to foundations in specific competencies (competitive skills in exporting) and capabilities (competitive resources in exporting). This simple model of the sources of superior export performance and this study's findings provide important insights for executives.

Marketing Strategy-Performance Relationship: An Investigation of the Empirical Link in Export Market Ventures

The relationship between marketing strategy and performance has been well documented in the domestic marketing context. However, empirical work in the context of export marketing has been fragmented. The authors investigate the marketing strategy-performance relationship in the context of export ventures. The study differs from previous export marketing studies in that (1) a comprehensive set of potential determinants of export market performance is considered; (2) the unit of analysis is the individual product-market export venture, rather than the firm or a business division; and (3) the analysis is based on in-depth personal interviews. The authors propose a conceptual framework of export marketing strategy and performance and test it by path analysis. The results support the contention that export marketing strategy, firm's international competence, and managerial commitment are the key determinants of export performance. Export marketing strategy is influenced by internal (firm and product characteristics) and external factors (industry and export market characteristics). They then discuss implications for management and further research.

Marketing Strategy-Performance Relationship: An Investigation of the Empirical Link in Export Market Ventures

The relationship between marketing strategy and performance has been well documented in the domestic marketing context. However, empirical work in the context of export marketing has been fragmented. The authors investigate the marketing strategy-performance relationship in the context of export ventures. The study differs from previous export marketing studies in that (1) a comprehensive set of potential determinants of export market performance is considered; (2) the unit of analysis is the individual product-market export venture, rather than the firm or a business division; and (3) the analysis is based on in-depth personal interviews. The authors propose a conceptual framework of export marketing strategy and performance and test it by path analysis. The results support the contention that export marketing strategy, firm's international competence, and managerial commitment are the key determinants of export performance. Export marketing strategy is influenced by internal (firm and product characteristics) and external factors (industry and export market characteristics). They then discuss implications for management and further research.