Export Performance: Influence of Intangible Resources, Dynamic Capabilities and Entrepreneurial

Abstract

Understanding the determinants that influence international performance, in particular exports, is vital to the survival and expansion of enterprises and the consequent economic growth of exporting countries that are heavily dependent of international markets. Thus this study focuses mainly on how resources and capabilities enable companies to achieve competitive advantage and superior performance in foreign markets. This research builds upon the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities View (DCV) premise that companies’ intangible resources influence the development of important capabilities to export performance. Thus, we developed and tested a model entailing knowledge and business relationships positive impact on entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities, which translates positively in exports’ performance. Results of a survey of a sample of 265 exporting companies in the north of Portugal confirm six out of the ten proposed hypothesis and confirm that export performance is directly impacted by dynamic capabilities and entrepreneurial orientation and indirectly by knowledge and business relationships. Contrary to hypothesized, entrepreneurial orientation is influenced directly only by dynamic capabilities, as business relationships and knowledge do not have a direct significant impact but indirectly through dynamic capabilities.