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This study aims to develop a new internationalisation model to describe the exporting and non-exporting behaviours of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and then applying it to a sample of UK SMEs. The conceptual model consists of four forces leading to a successful business.

The sample is a stratified one taken from KOMPASS directory and focussing on the Greater Manchester area. In total, 250 firms were chosen to be the population of this survey. In total, 110 surveys were received by email i.e. 24 non-exporters and 86 exporters that were fully completed.

The four forces of the model include the non-exporting activity, the activity before and after the first export order, differences and similarities between non-exporters and exporters and the regular exporting activity. This model’s findings demonstrate important empirical determinants related to four forces, which, in turn, shape the successful exporting activity.

The empirical evidence from the study suggests that the major differences between non-exporters and exporters, which include the differences in management perceptions towards exporting, and the differences and similarities of firm and management characteristics, explain only to some degree what constitutes successful exporting behaviour. The model is considered useful for smaller businesses located in the UK. The study highlights the importance of firms before and after the first export order, which provides insights for managers of firms about going through with the first export order rather than withdrawing from this effort. The study reveals the motivations for exporting, the timing, the modes through which firms export, firms’ management characteristics and attitudinal differences between exporters and non-exporters, which are essential for practitioners.

In addressing certain important gaps in the export marketing field, reports on a systematic study of the factors stimulating the current exporting activities of manufacturing firms from a small European country. Investigates potential differences in ongoing export motivators between two distinct groups of exporters differentiated by level of export development. Suggests that both proactive and reactive factors stimulate these firms’ decisions to continue and maintain exporting, and also identifies certain significant differences in export stimuli between the two exporter categories. Discusses the implications of the study findings for business practitioners and public policy makers, and considers future research directions alongside the limitations of the study.

Drawing attention to certain important gaps in the exporting literature, develops and evaluates a model of export performance using a sample of regular exporters from a small European Union country, in their trading activities with overseas distributors. Integrates and views specific firm characteristics, export commitment and export‐related perception variables as potentially important factors in explaining firm performance in the export market context. Tests the model in a three‐step procedure employing multiple regression analysis and identifies several elements that are related directly to export performance. Discusses the implications of the study for both business practitioners and public policy makers and highlights future research directions.

Examines the characteristics of firms which undertake exporting under their own volition and in the absence of external stimuli. In this context, internally‐induced export initiation is viewed as an innovative behaviour. The classification scheme employed in this study has a high degree of internal and discriminant validity with successful classification of 86 per cent of innovative firms by the resultant discriminant model. The findings indicate that innovative firms do not vary significantly with regard to general firm characteristics from other exporters, but that they do vary significantly with regard to critical export‐related activities. Innovative firms consider exporting an ongoing activity, have greater export proportion of sales and average export order size, make greater use of export information, and tend to use different sources of data from other exporting firms. In addition, they are more likely to maintain export‐specific organizations.

In drawing attention to certain important gaps in the exporting literature, reports on a systematic study of the export competitive advantages of indigenous manufacturers in a small European country. The focus is on the examination of potential differences in perceptions of export competitive advantages with regard to firms′ size, export involvement and export market experience. The research findings suggest the existence of significant differences in perceived export competitive advantages between different exporter groups in terms of company size and degree of export involvement. However, no relationship is established between perceptions of competitive advantages and export market experience. Discusses managerial and public policy implications of these findings and outlines directions for future research.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically evaluate a model of the firm‐level determinants of export performance that includes the firm's internationalization modes other than exporting.

The paper uses information gathered on 147 Italian manufacturing small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and applies a structural equation modeling procedure to evaluate determinants included in the model, which are: the firm's commitment to developing an international marketing strategy, the organizational structure for exports, international modes other than exporting (foreign direct investment, international alliances, global sourcing), and some characteristics of the firm already extensively explored in other studies (size, age, international experience).

The above‐mentioned firm internationalization methods are shown, as a whole, to have a statistically significant, positive and direct influence on export performance. The same can be said of the strategic variable and the organizational variable, whereas the firm characteristics have only an indirect effect on export performance, mediated by the previous three determinants.

The study presents some limitations. In particular, it was limited to manufacturing SMEs in a particular geographical area (North‐East Italy). Replications in other territories are needed to validate the current findings. Moreover, the results of the statistical analysis reveal a moderate support to the research model with regard to some fit indices. These issues could be addressed in future research.

The most important outcome of the study refers to the influence of the internationalization modes other than exporting. Although a great deal of theoretical and empirical literature analyzed the determinants of export performance, this relationship has been largely neglected.

The purpose of this study is to unfold the role of managerial characteristics in developing the dynamic capabilities necessary to serve foreign customers and compete in export market ventures.

The authors test their proposed model using path analysis with data collected from export managers working in 204 small- and medium-sized Turkish exporters operating in various sectors.

The findings suggest that the positive effect of export managers’ process thinking skills on dynamic capabilities increases when the export managers’ learning and avoid orientations are low and prove orientation is high and export venture experience (duration and scope) increases. In addition, it has been found that export managers’ process thinking skills have an indirect effect on export performance through export venture dynamic capabilities.

This study makes three contributions. First, the authors conceptualize and operationalize dynamic capabilities in the context of exporting. The authors empirically validate export venture dynamic capabilities as a higher-level construct composed of sensing, seizing and reconfiguring elements pertinent to the firm’s export market operations. Second, based on the micro-foundations approach of competitive advantage, the authors study managers’ process thinking skills in exporting firms and how these abilities support dynamic capability development in export ventures. Finally, the authors investigate how the impact of export managers’ process thinking skills on export venture dynamic capabilities is influenced by their goal orientations and certain objective exporter characteristics pertaining to different aspects of export venture experience.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how different strategic choices related to the transitions in-and-out of exporting (export entry, export persistence, export exit) impact employment growth in Romanian small- and medium-sized businesses.

Using linear regression models on a sample of 566 Romanian SMEs, The authors model employment growth as a function of three different dimensions of foreign market participation: export entry, persistence and exit.

Results indicate that exporting is positively associated with employment growth. The findings reveal that the different strategic choices linked to exporting have a differentiating impact on employment growth: while employment growth is more pronounced among new exporters which points to the presence of an impulse effect of exporting, businesses that interrupt their exporting activities report employment losses.

This study underlines the relevance of distinguishing the specific impact of the different export behaviours related to the transitions in-and-out of exporting.

The results of the study fuel the debate on the relevance of promoting policies that encourage exporting among small businesses operating in emerging economies.

This study presents an original analysis of the distinctive effect that different forms of export behaviour related to the transitions in-and-out of exporting have on employment growth. The relevance of this study not only flows from the particular empirical design that simultaneously evaluates different export choices and their specific impact on employment growth.

Purpose – Resource-based literature argues that firms’ export performances are influenced by a proper combination of their own resources and capabilities, allowing for sustainable competitive advantages. Because export activities are usually based on relationships between firms and foreign intermediaries, the adequate management of inter-organisational activities should also be analysed as a key determinant of export performance.

Originality – Our research adds to the existing literature by examining the role that management control systems (MCS) play in exploiting firms’ exporting capabilities and resources to optimise export performance.

Methodology – Utilising empirical data from Spanish exporters, an initial analysis of export efficiency was performed based on DEA and segmentation techniques. From efficiency scores, we tested causal relationships between MCS design and use and the optimisation of resources and capabilities when performing export activities.

Findings and practical implications – The main conclusions are that any type of control system was found to have a positive influence in export performance, but only social control establishes a difference in terms of efficiency. The results show that strong social controls increase firms’ efficiencies when managing export channels, allowing firms to achieve outputs superior to competitors with similar resources and capabilities. In addition, an efficiency ‘lifecycle’ was identified for relationships between exporters and intermediaries. A pro-cyclical effect was found among MCS design, use, and export efficiency; intense MCS were established in the first stages of a relationship but were relaxed after a certain level of efficiency was achieved, leading to a reduction of efficiency in the long term that compromised the continuity of relationships.

Compares the different models of behaviour between exportation and internationalisation in an organization. Examines other studies on the subject of export behaviour and looks at the lessons and opportunities which arise from these. Attempts to résumée the different models and studies and also to evaluate their implications for government policy and export management. Proposes these points for further exploration.