Title: Resources, capabilities, export performance and the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation in the context of SMEs

Authors: Robert Celec; Dietfried Globocnik; Phillipp Kruse

Addresses: RC inovativni projekti, mag. Robert Celec s.p., Goricka ul. 45, Cernelavci, 9000, Murska Sobota, Slovenia ' Department of Marketing, Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation and Sustainability Research, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Merangasse 18/I, 8010 Graz, Austria ' Pricing Department, Fisher Scientific GmbH (Part of Thermo Fisher Scientific), Im Heiligen Feld 17, 58239 Schwerte, Germany

Abstract: Export activities of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in small economies with limited domestic markets. This paper investigates critical resources and capabilities of SMEs for export performance and their contingency upon entrepreneurial orientation. The proposed model builds on the theories of the resource-based view, the dynamic capability view and entrepreneurship to select relevant antecedents and argue their performance impact. The hypotheses were tested with cross-industry data collected from 102 Slovenian SMEs using structural equation modelling. Our results support that human resources, brand and entrepreneurial orientation positively affect SMEs' export performance, while management experience, market and innovation capabilities only increase performance in the face of high entrepreneurial orientation. Further results and implications are discussed.

Keywords: small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; export performance; resource-based view; RBV; entrepreneurial orientation; moderation; entrepreneurship; dynamic capability; Slovenia; structural equation modelling; SEM; human resources; brand; exports; management experience; market capabilities; innovation capabilities.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2014.062971

European Journal of International Management, 2014 Vol.8 No.4, pp.440 - 464

Received: 08 Jan 2013
Accepted: 08 Jan 2013

Published online: 14 Oct 2014 *

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