Title: Standardisation and adaptation of firms' export marketing strategies in familiar European and non-familiar non-European markets

Authors: Manfred Fuchs; Mariella Köstner

Addresses: Department of Accounting and Reporting, Universitaet Graz, Universitätsstrasse 15, 8010 Graz, Austria ' Department of Accounting and Reporting, Universitaet Graz, Universitätsstrasse 15, 8010 Graz, Austria

Abstract: Our study investigates the relationships between export market experience (internal contingency factor), competitive intensity (external contingency factor), marketing strategy adaptation and export success of Austrian SMEs. Drawing from contingency theory, we develop a conceptual model and test it with a sample of 115 Austrian SMEs. After splitting the sample into familiar European countries and unfamiliar non-European countries including CEE countries, we found a negative relationship between product adaptation and sales growth and profitability in non-European and CEE countries, and a positive relationship between product adaptation and profitability in familiar European countries. Our results demonstrate that promotion adaptation has a positive effect on sales growth and profitability in both subsamples: European countries and non-European countries including CEE countries.

Keywords: marketing strategy adaptation; export success; contingency theory; standardisation; export performance; export marketing; Austria; small and medium-sized enterprises; exporting SMEs; product adaptation; sales growth; product adaptation; profitability; promotion adaptation.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2015.069163

European Journal of International Management, 2015 Vol.9 No.3, pp.306 - 325

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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