This study addresses the effects of the firm’s level of engagement with trade associations located at the company’s export market on export performance. It analyzes firm-level data from a South American emerging economy, Chile. Results show that a stronger engagement with trade associations located at the company’s export market has a positive effect on export performance. Environmental uncertainty on customer needs is confirmed as an export performance barrier, but unexpectedly, this obstacle only diminishes in a negligible factor as the level of engagement with trade associations located at the firm’s export market increases. This study contributes to the international management literature by investigating the direct and moderating effects of overseas trade associations on the firm’s export performance, and by scrutinizing on the distinctions among the cooperation determinants of local networks and networks situated at the firm’s export market. Practical implications are discussed.

Introduction

Export performance of small and medium sized firms (SMEs’) remain a relevant research area in a global environment with increasing technological change, lower trade barriers and a growing interest in country and firm-level export developing strategies (Ngo, Janssen, Leonidou, & Christodoulides, 2016; Cieślik, Kaciak, & Thongpapanl, 2015), despite the fact of emerging new global trends on de-globalization (Ghemawat, 2017). The understanding and modeling of export performance is typically grounded on the Resource Based View (RBV). The resource-based theory posits that firm´s internal tangible and intangible resources result in competitive advantage and export performance (Barney, 1991; Zou & Stan, 1998). On the contrary, the contingency approach suggests that the interdependence of firm external and internal factors determines firm´s export performance (Cavusgil & Zou, 1994; Yeoh & Jeong, 1995; Sousa, Martínez-López, & Coelho, 2008). This study approaches export performance from the contingency perspective. Institutional networks need more attention in the study of export performance, especially within SMEs (Chetty & Agndal, 2007). At the same time, external networks and horizontal relationships, such as engaging with trade associations are factors that require further study (Boehe, 2013; Guimón & Paraskevopoulou, 2017). This is because external networks may facilitate access to resources that are essential for internationalization. These resources might include, for instance, information benefits or access to pooled resources oriented at international operations (Lavie, 2006; Yiu, Lau, & Bruton, 2007), as well as collective action in the creation of crucial public goods (Porter, 1998). In addition, the peculiar conditions on the export market environment are also relevant factors impacting the firm´s export performance within the contingency approach. These circumstances include the management´s perceived environmental uncertainty on customer´s needs (Lee, Yeung, & Cheng, 2009; Phua, 2007). Nevertheless, very few studies that surpass national borders have addressed the relationship between environmental uncertainty on customer needs and inter-organizational collaborations (Matanda & Freeman, 2009). The evidence on the effect of such relationships is scarce when emerging markets are the context of study. In particular, Kiss, Danis, and Cavusgil (2012), emphasize the necessity to comprehend the connection between firms and international networks in the context of emerging economies. For emerging markets, the predominance of networks is a mechanism to replace formal institutions, which are declining when the latter are strengthened and improved. They ask for a deeper understanding on how firms manage the complexity of resource acquisition while engaging with international networks (Kiss & Danis, 2008; Kiss et al., 2012).

چکیده

این مقاله به بررسی اثرهای سطح تعامل یک موسسه بازرگانی با انجمن های تجاری در بازار صادرات شرکت، بر روی عملکرد صادرات می پردازد. به این منظور این مطالعه داده های موسسه های بازرگانی از یک اقتصاد نو ظهور از یک کشور آمریکای جنوبی، یعنی شیلی، را مورد تجزیه و تحلیل قرار می دهد. نتایج نشان می دهد که تعامل قوی تر با انجمن های تجاری در بازار صادرات، اثری مثبت بر روی عملکرد صادرات دارد. نبود اطمینان محیطی در زمینه نیازهای مشتری به عنوان یک مانع در عملکرد صادرات به اثبات رسیده است اما، به طور غیر منتظره ای، با افزایش سطح تعامل با انجمن های تجاری در بازار صادرات شرکت، این مانع تنها به یک عامل ناچیز تنزل پیدا می کند.

مقدمه

عملکرد صادراتی در شرکت های کوچک و متوسط (SMEs ) با افزایش تغییرات فنی ، موانع تجاری کمتر و علاقه رو به رشد در استراتژی های توسعه ی صادرات در سطح شرکت و کشور برخلاف تمایلات جدید جهان در زمینه تجزیه و جدا شدن، یک منطقه تحقیقاتی مرتبط را در یک سطح جهانی به وجود می آورد. درک و مدلسازی عملکرد صادراتی بر اساس نظریات مبتنی بر منابع پایه گذاری شده است (RBV) نظریه مبتنی بر منابع فرض می کند که منابع داخلی ملموس و غیر ملموس شرکت باعث برتری رقابتی و عملکرد صادراتی می شود برعکس عملکرد احتمالی اشاره به این موضوع دارد که وابستگی متقابل فاکتورهای داخلی و خارجی شرکت عملکرد صادراتی شرکت را تعیین می کند . این مقاله به عملکرد صادراتی از دیدگاه احتمالی نزدیکتر است .