<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This paper aimed to identify success factors of export performance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on the resource-based view, the dynamic capability view, and international entrepreneurship theory, we extracted relevant assets, capabilities, and postures at the firm level. An extended benchmarking method was applied to empirically test the proposed success factors with a cross-sectional sample of 99 Slovenian SMEs. The results highlight the crucial role of management competence, financial and human resources, market orientation, negotiation flexibility, and a proactive and risk-taking posture to achieve superior export performance.</p></abstract>

This paper aimed to identify success factors of export performance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on the resource-based view, the dynamic capability view, and international entrepreneurship theory, we extracted relevant assets, capabilities, and postures at the firm level. An extended benchmarking method was applied to empirically test the proposed success factors with a cross-sectional sample of 99 Slovenian SMEs. The results highlight the crucial role of management competence, financial and human resources, market orientation, negotiation flexibility, and a proactive and risk-taking posture to achieve superior export performance.

Benchmarking Firm-level Resources, Capabilities, and Postures Driving Export Performance of SMEs

Department of Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship, Alpen-Adria Universitaet Klagenfurt,

Naše gospodarstvo/Our economy

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

This paper aimed to identify success factors of export performance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on the resource-based view, the...

Benchmarking Firm-level Resources, Capabilities, and Postures Driving Export Performance of SMEs

Published Online: Mar 30, 2017

Page range: 47 - 58

Received: Dec 01, 2016

Accepted: Feb 01, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ngoe-2017-0005

Keywords
Export performance, resource-based view, dynamic capabilities, entrepreneurial orientation, SME, benchmark

© 2017 Robert Celec et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Benchmarking Firm-level Resources, Capabilities, and Postures Driving Export Performance of SMEs

Published Online: Mar 30, 2017

Page range: 47 - 58

Received: Dec 01, 2016

Accepted: Feb 01, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ngoe-2017-0005

KeywordsExport performance, resource-based view, dynamic capabilities, entrepreneurial orientation, SME, benchmark

© 2017 Robert Celec et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Export performance, resource-based view, dynamic capabilities, entrepreneurial orientation, SME, benchmark