How Capabilities Shape Export Performance: Evidence from Portuguese Firms.
Abstract
This study examines the capabilities that enhance firms' export performance, emphasizing the multidimensional nature of export-oriented competencies. It develops and validates a 27-item scale to measure four key capability dimensions: dynamic capabilities, technological capabilities, marketing capabilities, and entrepreneurial orientation. The items used to measure the capabilities of exporting companies were adapted from the literature. An online survey was conducted with 267 exporting firms located in the central region of Portugal. The measurement model was validated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), ensuring construct reliability and validity. The results indicate that all four capabilities have a positive relationship with three measures of export venture performance: financial, strategic, and achievement. Among them, dynamic capabilities - specifically sensing and seizing - and marketing capabilities show stronger correlations with annual export performance. This study confirms the validity of operationalizing export capabilities as a second-order reflective construct. By operationalizing export capabilities through a validated scale, this study provides a more comprehensive measurement tool for firms and policymakers to assess a firm’s strengths and weaknesses in international markets. The study's conclusions offer valuable guidance for firms navigating uncertainty about which organizational capabilities to develop to enhance export performance when expanding their operations abroad.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2025.SpecialIssueIM.119-138
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Copyright (c) 2025 Margarida Vicente, André Vaz, Anabela Marcos, Maria José Antunes
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International Journal of Marketing, Communication and New Media
ISSN: 2182-9306
DOI: 10.54663/2182-9306
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