Setores como o de software requerem organizações aptas a aplicarem suas capacidades tecnológicas. Apesar do fato de a capacidade técnica brasileira do setor ter gerado resultados reconhecidos internacionalmente, os incentivos dados a essa indústria não foram suficientes para permitir que o país atingisse as metas de exportação preestabelecidas. O objetivo deste estudo é verificar o papel que a capacitação tecnológica exerce sobre o desempenho exportador dos produtos e serviços de software. A expectativa inicial era de que o nível de capacitação tecnológica tivesse uma contribuição significativa para a expansão dos negócios internacionais e que fosse positivamente correlacionado a resultados de exportação. Para a análise, foram selecionadas 488 empresas integrantes da indústria brasileira de software, pesquisadas a partir da base de dados da Secretaria de Política de Informática do Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (SEPIN/MCT). A correlação entre capacitação tecnológica e desempenho exportador foi observada em aspectos referentes a ações de incentivo à capacitação e contribuição de novos produtos ao faturamento. / Software activities demand organizations that are able to apply their technological capabilities. Despite of the Brazilian technical capability in this field had been internationally recognized by good results, the incentives given to this industry were not enough to allow the country to achieve the export pre-established goals. The aim of this study is to assess the role of technological capability in software - products and services - export performance. The initial expectation was that the technological capability level would feature a meaningful contribution in expanding international business and lead to a positive correlation in export results. For the analysis, 488 companies of the Brazilian software industry were selected from the SEPIN/MCT database. The correlation between technological capability and export performance was observed in aspects related to encouragement incentive procedures and also the contribution of new products to the revenue.

Export performance has an important role for firm survival, profitability and growth. Given these benefits and the challenges that firms may face when exporting, scholars have dedicated considerable efforts to understand the factors that enable export success. The current study investigates the role of experiential foreign market knowledge and exporter-importer (EI) relationship quality for export performance. A conceptual model involving the relationship between the role of experiential foreign market knowledge, E-I relationship quality and export performance satisfaction is developed and empirically tested using data from 264 Thai exporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Findings suggest SME managers' knowledge of foreign customers, culture and political environment have a positive influence on E-I relationship quality and satisfaction with export performance. Drawing upon the relational exchange theory, goodwill trust was found to be the most significant aspect that builds long-term E-I relationship quality. Secondly, the findings show that calculative approach (e.g. commitment based on cost and benefits) is a mainstream type of commitment between exporters and importers. However, a personalised tie between the exchange partners has a positive influence on commitment, resulting in the affective commitment to E-I relationship. Thirdly, in a collaborative business partnership, decision-makers emphasise information exchange and coordinating actions for taking strategic decisions, which are informed by the feedback recived in their collaboration. In addition, the study finds that political instability negatively moderates the link of competence trust and information exchange on export performance satisfaction. Theoretical, managerial and policy implications of these findings are discussed and areas for future research are proposed.

For the past three decades, export manufacturing has played an important role in Thailand's economic success. Among the exporters, the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have increasingly taken part. As a result, export performance at both micro and macro level has become of interest to academics, exporting firms, intermediaries and Thai government policy makers. Thus, extensive studies concerning determinants of export performance are reported in literature on export marketing. However, despite the significance of resources in implementing marketing strategies and performance, the Resource-Based View (RBV) has not been explicitly and fully explored in this literature. Moreover, the vital role of intermediary resources in export performance has been also largely ignored. Hence, the applicability of RBV should be examined to investigate the effects of firm resources and export intermediary resources on export performance. Similarly, marketing control, in spite of its importance, used by manufacturing exporters in relation to their intermediaries, has not been substantially explored. The availability of firm and export intermediary resources provides flexibility for manufacturing exporters in maintaining marketing control over their intermediaries, which in turn, influences export performance. Hence, the aim of the study is to investigate the applicability of RBV and marketing control theory in determining export performance. Moreover, in the export marketing literature, there are very few studies in developing countries, particularly in Southeast Asia: this study, therefore focusses on export performance of SMEs in an export-driven, developing economy, Thailand. During the course of its investigation, this study used the 'drop-in questionnaire' method of delivering and collecting the questionnaires in person with the purpose of enhancing responses from export managers. With respect to their individual export ventures, they were asked to provide answers regarding the availability of firm resources, their perception of the availability of export intermediary resources, and the use of marketing control mechanisms on export intermediaries. Preliminary data analysis used Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and was followed by the development of a structural model, which was then tested with AMOS 4.0 Package. ix The results from the above analyses substantiate the empirical link between resources, firm and export intermediary resources, and strategic export performance, and also between the availability of resources and the use of marketing controls. The findings show that production and marketing capabilities (firm resources) and good relationships and cooperation with exporters (export intermediary resources) have an important direct effect on export performance. Hence, the study confirms the applicability of RBV in export literature. The results also indicate that firm's marketing capabilities, export intermediary's relationship and cooperation, and knowledge and experience, influence the use of marketing control, thereby supporting the hypotheses that the availability of firm and export intermediary resources facilitates the use of marketing control.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the effect of human capital in Swedish export. Human capital is here expressed as the number of employees in the private sector per municipality with university education of at least three years. Two regression models were tested with aggregated export value/municipality and export value per kilo/municipality as dependent variables. Human capital as well as the total accessibility to R&D was assumed to have a positive impact on the Swedish export performance. During the last decades many economists have attached great importance to education, knowledge and investments in R&D. Sweden is in general abundant in human capital and have also several world leading companies characterized by knowledge intensive production and export. According to the Product Life Cycle Theory, Sweden should focus on the first phase that requires high input of human capital and product competition to maintain the competitiveness in the international market. The results indicate as expected that the access to human capital as well as accessibility to R&D have a positive impact on the Swedish aggregated export value and export value per kilo. The assumption about human capital being even more important in high value export could not be confirmed by the results. Innovation promoting investments together with continuous efforts to improve innovation nets and interaction possibilities are presumed to be important factors for Swedish competitiveness also in the future.

<p>The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the effect of human capital in Swedish export. Human capital is here expressed as the number of employees in the private sector per municipality with university education of at least three years. Two regression models were tested with aggregated export value/municipality and export value per kilo/municipality as dependent variables. Human capital as well as the total accessibility to R&D was assumed to have a positive impact on the Swedish export performance.</p><p>During the last decades many economists have attached great importance to education, knowledge and investments in R&D. Sweden is in general abundant in human capital and have also several world leading companies characterized by knowledge intensive production and export. According to the Product Life Cycle Theory, Sweden should focus on the first phase that requires high input of human capital and product competition to maintain the competitiveness in the international market.</p><p>The results indicate as expected that the access to human capital as well as accessibility to R&D have a positive impact on the Swedish aggregated export value and export value per kilo. The assumption about human capital being even more important in high value export could not be confirmed by the results. Innovation promoting investments together with continuous efforts to improve innovation nets and interaction possibilities are presumed to be important factors for Swedish competitiveness also in the future.</p>

Predicting export performance remains an important issue at the heart of export research and management. This is because of the primary role of exporting to ensuring the profitability, growth and survival of firms. Given these and other benefits that firms stand to gain (and the challenges that firms face) for their active engagement in exporting, scholars have exerted efforts into explaining the causes of export success. Export marketing strategy, firm characteristics, capabilities and firms' orientations towards export markets are some the variables studied. Firms' entrepreneurial orientation towards export markets has been one important variable that has captured the attention of researchers. This study is an attempt to introduce an export context-specific entrepreneurial-oriented behaviour (or export EOB) to the study of antecedents of export performance. A theoretical model involving the relationship between export EOB (and its dimensions) and export performance is, therefore, developed and empirically tested using data from 212 exporting organisations. Findings suggest that firms' overall level of export EOB is a major driver of export success. The study further establishes that a high level of market-oriented behaviour in exporting organisations can help firms to derive stronger benefits from their entrepreneurial activities. At the specific level of the export EOB components, results suggest that development of novel product innovations, high export risk-taking, and strong proactive and competitively aggressive behaviours can help exporting organisations to improve their performance. However, product innovation intensity and autonomy are negatively related to export performance, suggesting that high levels of these two behaviours might lead to poor export performance. Nevertheless, further analysis shows that the negative association between product innovation intensity and export performance becomes positive when moderated by product innovation novelty. In addition, the study shows that autonomy has indirect positive association with export performance through interaction with proactiveness and competitive aggressiveness. In other words, autonomy facilitates the effectiveness of proactive and competitive aggressive behaviours. Further analyses of moderating effect relationships reveal mixed results. Specifically, the study finds that export market orientation positively moderates the link between production innovation intensity and export performance. In addition, export customer dynamism positively moderates the association of product innovation novelty and risk-taking with export performance. On the contrary, export customer dynamism negatively moderates the link between product innovation intensity and export performance. Theoretical, export managerial and policy implications of these findings are discussed and useful areas for future research are proposed.

This study empirically investigates the direct and indirect effects of export promotion programs (EPPs) on firm export performance. Government export promotion programs normally define the premise for successful exporting activities of the corporate sector and play a key role in stimulating international business activities of firms (Cavusgil and Michael, 1990; Marandu, 1995; Seringhaus and Rosson, 1990). While the extant literature on export performance mostly neglected EPPs as an antecedent of export performance, the literature on export promotion fails to relate it to export performance. A very few researchers in this area have focused on a direct relationship between EPPs and firm export performance, however, no study has investigated the effect of EPPs on other determinants of export performance toward establishing any indirect relation between EPPs and export performance. This study attempts to develop and test a comprehensive model of firm export performance that investigates how EPPs directly and indirectly influence firm export performance. Theoretical foundations are drawn from internationalization process and resource-based theories as frameworks for the analysis of the study. The model integrates the use of EPPs, management perception of export market environment, export knowledge, export commitment, and export strategy that influence firm export performance and develops a number of hypotheses. Export promotion programs are classified into two categories according to their similarity of purpose- "market development", and "finance and guarantee" related programs. All other variables in the model are latent and are measured by a set of observed items. The model is tested on primary data obtained from a sample survey of exporting firms drawn from three major export oriented industries in Bangladesh. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques (in AMOS 5) are used to test the validity of the overall model and the relationship between variables hypothesized in the model. A two stage process is employed whereby the construct measurements are first evaluated, followed by an evaluation of the structural relationships. Analysis of the structural relationships supports most of the hypothesized relationships. The dimensions of export promotion programs are found to positively impact overall export performance. The research findings demonstrate that the use of market development-related export promotion programs influence firm export performance directly as well as indirectly through management perception of the export market environment, export knowledge and commitment. However, finance and guarantee-related export promotion programs indirectly influence export performance through export commitment. The study provides a guideline for managers of firms suggesting how they can benefit from EPPs in improving their positive attitude towards the export market environment, building their knowledge and enhancing commitment to exporting for better success in their international operations. This study provides guidelines to policymakers in designing and targeting export promotion programs effectively. The study also contributes to the literature by examining the indirect impact of EPPs on firm export performance. Finally, the limitations of the study are considered and possible directions for further research outlined.

The purpose of this thesis is to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of what impact external factors could have on international active Swedish SME’s. Since these factors influence the firm throughout the internationalization process we will investigate how firms mitigates the impact of external factors at later stages in the internationalization process. Furthermore, we will investigate how companies prepare themselves when it comes to external factors. To conduct this research, we have decided to use a qualitative research approach so that we as researcher can receive a deeper understanding of the international business environment. The thesis will use the abductive research approach since we match the theory regarding external factors with the empirical findings.   The Literature review has been conducted to conclude theroies regarding external factors, internationalization, export performance and finally a theory regarding divestment. This has resulted in a conceptual framework, which show how the theories are linked to each other. The conceptual framework has later been used to analyze the empirical data. The empirical data has been gathered through four case companies, which has been presented in the chapther empirical findings.   The analysis includes a discussion that compares the differnces and similarities between the theoretical framework and the empirical findings. It also includes the differences and similarities between our respondents and their experience from external factors and its impact. The final chapter concludes the thesis with results from our resource questions and further includes implications, recommendations, limitations and suggestions for further research in this subject. The main theoretical implication is the filling of the research gap regarding external factors and their impatcs for Swedish SMEs. Furthermore, the thesis concluded that it would be beneficial for companies to develop a strategy to overcome the obstacles that come from external factors when a company is internationalized. Our thesis has concluded that it is better to be proactive to external changes rather than be reactive on the international market.

Exporting plays an imperative role in many firms growth and survival. For that reason, a profound understanding of export operations is of interest to researchers as well as practitioners. Choosing the export mode is one of the most important strategic decisions a firm makes when exporting to its foreign markets. This decision may affect the firm s resource allocations and shape the possibility of future foreign expansion, and thus has potential performance implications. This study acknowledges that export mode choices should contribute to the firm success initially and on a continuous basis. Hence, it recognises the interlinked nature of export mode operations, and, for the first time, adapts a holistic view on export operation modes. Introducing the portfolio logic, this study investigates antecedents of the export mode portfolio and its performance implications. Two different theoretical approaches of transaction cost economics (TCE) and real options (RO) were used to distinguish different possible export mode portfolios of a firm. The study model is empirically tested using data from 250 Chinese export firms. From the TCE perspective, the finding suggests that firms' levels of investment uncertainty and export marketing capability are the main drivers of an internalised export mode portfolio. From the RO theory viewpoint, on the other hand, the result indicates that firms' levels of endogenous uncertainties (i.e. cultural uncertainty and technological uncertainty) are positively related to the intensity of use of Joint-Investment export modes in the portfolio of firms. In ddition, as expected, the greater the preponderance of exogenous uncertainties (i.e. investment uncertainty and demand uncertainty) the higher the proportion of No-Investment export modes in the portfolio of the firm. Further analysis of firms' export performance reveals that firms shaping their export mode portfolios according to the predictions of real options out-perform firms that shape their export mode portfolio based on TCE considerations. More specifically, firms that reduce their endogenous uncertainty, by engaging more in Joint- Investment modes of export operation across their portfolio, benefit from higher profit performance. The new model developed in this study provides a tool that enables scholars to give better advice to exporters on how they can structure their export mode portfolio for enhanced export profit.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The current paper aims to verify the role of an export consortium in the acquisition of innovation and the resulting impacts in the export performance of those companies which integrate the cooperation net. From the appreciation of the literature concerning to this theme, three theoretical presuppositions were elaborated to be refused or corroborated after the analyses of their empiric data: companies that make part of any export consortium have satisfactory export performance ; companies that innovate technologically have satisfactory performance and the export consortium, as an administrative innovation, makes it possible the buy of new technologies to enterprises . By means of a descriptive study survey in firms belonging to different export consortiums and economy areas, it was also traced the profile of those companies as well as the main segments of products, export destinations and existing and permanence times in the network. Besides that, by using a descriptive statistics, it was delineated the performance of firms about their participation in the consortiums, the acquisition of innovation and their export performances. Also, aiming to verify if there is any correlation of export consortium, acquisition of innovation and export performance, it was carried out a Pearson s correlation coefficient analysis. Among other results, it is pointed out that: concerned to their profiles, some enterprises enter the consortium by the time they are set up, showing their desire for the international market since their very beginning. Once discussing their performances, it is highlighted that their participations in export consortiums has been of great importance in reducing costs in international fairs and, according to Pearson s correlation, there is only correlation between export consortium and the purchase of innovation, although it is a low correlation. Thus, only the presupposed export consortium as an administrative innovation makes it possible the acquisition of new technologies to companies has been corroborated. The research results showed that the consortiums should be more explored by business firms, focusing in group activities for the purchase of technological innovations and in increasing the sale volumes for the international market. / O presente estudo tem por objetivo verificar o papel do consórcio de exportação na aquisição de inovação e os impactos resultantes na performance exportadora das empresas que integram a rede de cooperação. A partir da apreciação da literatura referente ao tema, foram elaboradas três hipóteses a serem refutadas ou corroboradas após as análises dos dados empíricos: empresas que integram algum consórcio de exportação têm performance exportadora satisfatória ; empresas que inovam tecnologicamente têm performance satisfatória e o consórcio de exportação, como inovação administrativa, viabiliza a aquisição de inovações tecnológicas às empresas . Por meio de estudo descritivo com pesquisa survey em firmas pertencentes a diferentes consórcios de exportação e setores da economia, foi também traçado o perfil das empresas quanto aos principais segmentos de produtos, destinos de exportação, tempo de existência e permanência na rede. Além disso, utilizando-se a estatística descritiva, foi delineada a atuação das firmas quanto a participação no consórcio de exportação, aquisição de inovações e performance exportadora. Também, visando verificar se há correlação entre consórcio de exportação, aquisição de inovações e performance exportadora, realizou-se análise do coeficiente de correlação de Pearson. Dentre outros resultados, destaca-se que: quanto ao perfil, algumas empresas ingressam no consórcio no momento da sua criação, mostrando desejo pelo comércio internacional desde o princípio; com referência à atuação, sobressai-se que a participação no consórcio de exportação teve grande importância na redução dos custos em feiras internacionais e, de acordo com a correlação de Pearson, apenas há correlação, ainda que baixa, entre consórcio de exportação e aquisição de inovações tecnológicas, de forma que apenas a hipótese o consórcio de exportação, como inovação administrativa, viabiliza a aquisição de inovações tecnológicas às empresas foi corroborado. Os resultados da pesquisa mostraram que os consórcios de exportação deveriam ser mais bem explorados pelas empresas, focando em atividades conjuntas para aquisição de inovações tecnológicas e na ampliação do volume de vendas para o mercado internacional.