Firm Innovativeness and Export Performance: Environmental, Networking, and Structural Contingencies. Issue 4 (December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Boso, Nathaniel; Story, Vicky M.; Cadogan, John W.; Micevski, Milena; Kadić-Maglajlić, Selma
• Is Part Of: Journal of international marketing. Volume 21:Issue 4(2013)
• Page Start: 62
• Page End: 87
• Publication Date: 2013-12
• Subjects: firm innovativeness -- export market environment -- channel networking capability -- organic structure -- export performance; Export marketing -- Periodicals; Export marketing -- Management -- Periodicals; 382.605
• DOI: 10.1509/jim.13.0052
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1069-031X

Abstract

Much scholarly work has explored the benefits firms accrue from innovation activities. Although some research has shown that firm innovativeness is associated with enhanced export success, the conditions under which firm innovativeness activities are most and least beneficial are not well understood. The authors take a contingency perspective and use social capital theory to investigate how internal channel networking capability and structural factors as well as external environment factors affect the innovativeness–export performance relationship. Analysis of samples of exporting firms from Ghana and Bosnia and Herzegovina indicates that innovativeness is most beneficial for firms operating in competitive and dynamic export markets; those in less competitive and static markets do not benefit from their innovation activities to the same extent. Stronger networking capabilities and a more organic structure also enhance the innovativeness–export performance relationship. The findings imply that the management of firm innovativeness is not a straightforward task in which greater emphasis on innovation activities is always beneficial for firms; rather, exporting organizations must match firm innovativeness levels to external environmental conditions and internal capabilities and structures.