Enhancing export performance: a contingency based approach

Abstract

The majority of previous research in the export performance literature has focused on providing set 'prescriptions' for export success, prescriptions that are supposably applicable to all firms. Unfortunately, the regularity of conflicting results in this literature, has alerted researchers to the use of contingency theory, which considers the effects of a firm's contextual situation in determining their export performance. Research of this kind is sensitive to each firm's individual situation, and yet is able to be generalised across certain industry groups. Thus it is able to provide findings that are richer than research performed using the traditional approach. A conceptual model of export performance, developed by Yeoh and Jeong (1995), is selected to act as the framework for this research. The model addresses both the direct and moderating links associated with a firm's export performance. It hypothesises that there is a direct relationship between a firm's strategic orientation and export performance, and that the strength of this relationship is moderated by the extent to which this strategic posture matches or fits with the firm's internal and external contextual situation.