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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/203438 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Theingi |
| Publisher | University of Western Australia. Marketing Discipline Group, University of Western Australia. School of Economics and Commerce |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Copyright Theingi, http://www.itpo.uwa.edu.au/UWA-Computer-And-Software-Use-Regulations.html |
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