Technological Capacities and Exports Performance: The Case of Brazilian Football Clubs

Resumen

Objective: Analyze the relationship between technological capabilities and performance in integrating into Global Value Chains, in order to investigate which combinations of technological capabilities lead to successful integrations of companies into Global Value Chains.

Methodology: Initially we collected the exportation of football players, between 2006 and 2016, from 20 clubs that were in the 2016 Brazilian National Championship. Subsequently, we performed five semi-structured interviews with football professionals. Data analysis was performed using the Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs-QCA).

Originality/relevance: Studies have shown the trajectories that lead to the development of technological capabilities and the internationalization of companies. However, we did not found any research that proposed configurational models of these capabilities and the integration of companies into global value chains. Also, other studies analyze the relationship between access to knowledge and internationalization, but they did not develop a clear relationship between internationalization and technological capabilities.

Main results: It turns out that International Marketing is a necessary condition for successful integration into Global Value Chains, as well as, the conjunction of this factor with Planning of the Development of Players or Infrastructure or Team of Professionals forms three ways that increase the possibility of success in the integration.

Theoretical contributions: The main contribution of the research is expanding the theory of technological capabilities, through the adaptation of the functions presented in the capabilities matrix for a new sector. Another contribution is the evidence of the relationship between technological capabilities and export performance.