Suchergebnisse

PurposeVarious barriers discourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from entering or expanding their export activities in the international markets, especially SMEs in emerging markets. The purpose of this study is to look at capacity building to accelerate SMEs' export performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on contingency theory and takes a resource-based and market-based view to provide a holistic understanding of the issue. This study uses primary data collected via extensive surveys from active SMEs in three main industrial regions in Vietnam to undertake confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling for quantitative analysis.FindingsThe results confirm and show the significant effects of various determinants on firms' export performance. These research findings have scientific contribution and significant implications by understanding the effective internal and external export drivers and mediators in an emerging market and enhancing SMEs' export performance.Practical implicationsThis study helps SMEs to improve their export performance by systemizing their decision-making in export activities, improving main export drivers highlighted in this study and developing required training programs for their teams. The outcomes also helps policymakers and regulators to improve the current SME ecosystem in Vietnam through training programs, improving policies, facilitating trades, providing more government assistance etc. The results of this study can be extended to other emerging markets with a similar economic structure and legal system.Originality/valueGiven the need for more work on export performance, this paper develops and tests a holistic conceptual framework that accounts for all aspects of export drivers, and provides a more comprehensive model for examining SMEs' export drivers. This theoretical framework also incorporates three potential mediators (i.e. innovation strategy, export marketing strategy and business strategy) to investigate the effect of internal and external factors on export performance, highlighting the importance of the mediating effects on SMEs in achieving growth and competing in the international arena.

Purpose
This study aims to examine a conceptual integrated framework for small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) export performance that comprises all potential export determinants and inhibitors. This study also incorporates and examines the potential mediators of proactiveness (business strategy), innovativeness (innovation strategy) and export marketing strategy.


Design/methodology/approach
His research is based on the contingency theory, resource-based and market-based view, and it provides an integrated model about the research problem. The primary data are collected through direct survey amongst active SME exporters, and three main approaches of descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling are applied for data analysis.


Findings
The results show significant effects of various internal and external firms' determinants on their export performance in Qatar. Two mediators, proactiveness (business strategy) and innovativeness (innovation strategy), have key roles in enhancing SMEs' export as well. The final research findings have significant implications for understanding all key drivers of SME export in Qatar, and it helps policymakers, regulators and service providers to improve the current SME ecosystem and their services to SMEs. Finally, the results of this study can be extended to other emerging markets with similar economic and legal structures.


Originality/value
Many obstacles discourage SMEs to move internationally, especially in emerging markets. This study focuses on the capacity building to enhance SME export activities in an emerging market. Even though the latest literature in the area of export performance has focused on firms from emerging economies, studies in this area are still limited. Earlier research in this area has mostly focused solely on the determinants of export performance from either internal factors, external factors or both without using adequately potential mediating factors, which could affect export performance.