Determinants of Export Intensity among Small and Medium-Sized Firms: An Empirical Study based on the Heterogeneity of their Resources

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine plausible determinants of the firms’ export intensity from the perspective of the heterogeneity of its resources. We developed and tested empirically a research model by applying structural equation modeling techniques to a sample of 133 exporting SMEs. The findings suggest that the export intensity exhibited by firms appears to lie in its degree of managerial export commitment along with the intense use of cross-national-border partners. A firm’s resource availability to deal with foreign markets impacts export intensity indirectly. Export commitment seems to play a mediating role between a firm’s resource availability and the export intensity.

El objetivo de este estudio es examinar posibles determinantes de la intensidad exportadora de las empresas desde la perspectiva de la heterogeneidad de sus recursos. Desarrollamos y probamos empíricamente un modelo hipotético de investigación aplicando modelación de ecuaciones estructurales a una muestra de 133 Mipymes exportadoras. Los hallazgos sugieren que la intensidad exportadora de una empresa depende del grado de compromiso exportador de la gerencia junto con el uso intenso de socios internacionales. La disponibilidad de recursos de una empresa para mercados internacionales impacta solo indirectamente a la intensidad exportadora. El compromiso exportador desempeña un rol mediador entre la disponibilidad de recursos y la intensidad exportadora.