How to successfully adapt distribution strategy in exporting? The moderating effects of commitment and responsiveness
International Marketing Review
ISSN: 0265-1335
Article publication date: 31 July 2024
Issue publication date: 29 November 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the resource-based view, this study examines the effect of distribution adaptation on export performance. The study also examines the moderating role of responsiveness and commitment. Two distinct factors for commitment (i.e. managerial export commitment and financial export commitment) and two distinct factors for responsiveness (i.e. export customer responsiveness and export competitor responsiveness) are considered as moderators in the relationship between distribution adaptation and export performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a Spanish governmental database of exporting firms, this study collected data from 208 firms to run the analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that distribution adaptation has a positive impact on export performance. Findings also support the moderating roles of the two types of commitment and the two types of responsiveness. Managerial export commitment positively moderates the relationship, whereas financial export commitment plays a negative moderating role. Both export customer responsiveness and export competitor responsiveness have a positive moderating impact.
Originality/value
To consider distribution adaptation as a distinct variable rather than mixing it with other elements of the marketing mix. This distinction facilitates a clearer comprehension of its unique contribution to export performance. Two distinct factors for commitment and two distinct factors for responsiveness are considered. This approach offers a more detailed analysis of how the different aspects of commitment and responsiveness moderate this relationship.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Corrigendum: It has come to the attention of the publisher that the article, Sousa, C.M.P., Ruzo-Sanmartín, E., Varela-Neira, C. and Tan, Q. (2024), “How to successfully adapt distribution strategy in exporting? The moderating effects of commitment and responsiveness”, International Marketing Review, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-06-2023-0123 was submitted by the authors with errors in some of the references listed Table 1. This has now been corrected in the online version of the paper with Lages et al. (2008a, b) being updated to Lages et al. (2008b) and Griffith et al. (2014) being removed from the table. The authors sincerely apologise for this error and for any inconvenience caused.
Citation
Sousa, C.M.P., Ruzo-Sanmartín, E., Varela-Neira, C. and Tan, Q. (2024), "How to successfully adapt distribution strategy in exporting? The moderating effects of commitment and responsiveness", International Marketing Review, Vol. 41 No. 6, pp. 1218-1241. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-06-2023-0123
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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