Anne L. Souchon

Measuring Export Information Use: Scale Development and Validation

Abstract While the crucial role of information as a determinant of export success has long been recognized, surprisingly, most of the export information literature has tended to focus on acquisition rather than use issues. The present study views export information use in terms of instrumental/conceptual and symbolic dimensions and considers information acquired from export marketing research, export assistance, and export market intelligence sources. Six distinct scales of export information use are thus developed and their psychometric properties assessed in terms of dimensionality, reliability, and validity. The results show that the measures constructed are psychometrically sound and, therefore, suitable for use in substantive research.

Use and non‐use of export information: Some preliminary insights into antecedents and impact on export performance

Export information use has seldom, in the past, been the focus of empirical study. As a result, very little is known about the construct itself or its influences and outcomes. Among the factors believed to affect export information use, decision‐makers’ awareness of export information sources play a vital role since this awareness tends to reflect the amount of information collected and thus available for use. Another crucial antecedent factor to the export information use construct is the extent to which export decision‐makers experience information overload. Furthermore, the main outcome of export information use is believed to be the latters effect on export performance. This paper thus seeks to shed some light on the use versus non‐use of export information and its relationship with: (1) awareness of export information sources; (2) export information overload; (3) export information acquisition modes; and (4) export performance.

Export information acquisition modes: measure development and validation

Export information acquisition has mostly been examined disparately as researchers have tended to focus on certain modes of information acquisition independently of others. Furthermore, past studies have typically employed single‐item measures to operationalize information acquisition. The present study attempts to redress these deficiencies by considering a comprehensive set of export information acquisition modes and by developing psychometrically sound measures for each. The results show the adequacy of considering three broad export information acquisition modes (export marketing research, export assistance, and export market intelligence), each of which is operationalized by means of a multi‐item scale. The latter are shown to be reliable and to possess content, convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity.

Symbolic use of export information

Using information effectively has become a critical determinant for gaining competitive advantage and enhancing business performance. In this context, the need for further research into export information use is particularly pressing, given the increased recognition that mere export information acquisition is not sufficient to ensure optimal decision‐making quality for foreign markets. Information use has been conceptualised in the past as a multi‐dimensional construct encompassing instrumental, conceptual, and symbolic use, with most studies focusing on the first two dimensions. However, the nature of the export‐non‐export dichotomy within firms sets the scene for political information‐related activity and thus symbolic use of export information. This paper presents a multidimensional conceptualisation of symbolic use of export information, anchored in a cross‐disciplinary review of the literature. Key propositions regarding the impact of symbolic use of export information on export performance are also proposed. Conclusions are drawn and a future research agenda is outlined.

Level of analysis in export performance research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide researchers and journal reviewers with guidance regarding the appropriate level of analysis when developing and testing theory on export performance determinants. The authors’ focus is on the implications this has for the measurement of export performance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of an essay.Findings – Researchers should measure export performance at the level at which the theory is developed. Most export performance theory developed is inherently export function level theory, requiring export function level measurement of performance. Less commonly, researchers may develop theory at the intra‐firm level, which requires performance data from multiple export ventures within firms for theory testing purposes. Researchers rarely have cause to collect data from a single export venture from firms, since data at this level are unlikely to generalize to the firm as a whole, and may lead to a biased picture of the determinants of over...

Towards an understanding of cross‐national similarities and differences in export information utilization

The extent to which and ways in which export information is used can play a significant role in a firms level of export performance. Surprisingly, however, little empirical research has been conducted in the area of export information use, and even less attention has been paid to potential cross‐national differences in how export information is used. The focus of this study is the examination of export information use practices across different countries. Data from a total sample of 989 exporting companies across Austria, Germany, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA were analyzed using analyses of covariance to control for extraneous, firm‐level variables. The results indicate that firms from all countries use information instrumentally/conceptually more often than symbolically; they also tend to use export market intelligence more than other sources of information. Further, examination of the findings revealed that firms from different countries also use information differently. For instance, US exporters are much more symbolic in their use of information than exporters from the other countries, while Austrian exporters tend not to use information symbolically. Implications and limitations are discussed and future research avenues are proposed.

Export Information Use: A Five-Country Investigation of Key Determinants

Although information use is crucial for effective export decision making and ultimately export performance, most of the extant literature focuses on information acquisition rather than information use. Using data from a five-country survey of exporting firms, this study examines the impact of information-, export-, and context-specific variables on different types of export information use. The results show that the effects of these factors depend on the type of information use considered and the mode of information acquisition involved. The authors discuss implications of the findings and identify further research directions.

Export decision‐making orientation: an exploratory study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine two predominant export decision‐making orientations emanating from normative and descriptive decision theory, namely planning and improvisation and their coexistence within exporting firms. In addition, contingencies under which one may be more appropriate than the other for optimal performance consequences are identified.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study was conducted with UK exporters by way of in‐depth interviews. The results were analyzed using within‐ and cross‐case displays of in‐vivo and literature‐based codes, based on Miles and Hubermans recommendations.Findings – The study reveals widespread use of improvisation in export functions, and its co‐existence with export planning for enhanced decision‐making. In addition, resource‐ and capabilities‐based moderators are identified that may affect the ways in which planning and improvisation are related to export performance.Research limitations/implications – This is a preliminary study...

Marketing information use and organisational performance: the mediating role of responsiveness

While marketing information use is often cited as a critical facet of decision-making and a key denominator of competitive firms, little empirical evidence currently exists on its relationship to organisational performance. The current study addresses this gap by examining the mediating role that responsiveness plays in the use-performance relationship. A structured questionnaire was administered to New Zealand manufacturers, and 253 useable mail responses were obtained. Measures were developed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and hypotheses were tested via moderated hierarchical regression. The findings indicate the positive effect of the instrumental/conceptual use of information on responsiveness, albeit moderated by information overload. Inter-functional co-ordination was also found to play a critical role. Responsiveness was, in turn, found to be positively related to organisational performance.

Learning orientation in export functions: impact on export growth

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how the learning orientation of export functions affects their growth performance.Design/methodology/approach – A mail survey of 354 exporters was conducted, and the data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.Findings – Results show that the link between response to export information and export growth is quadratic (U‐shaped), and that this relationship is moderated by use of export memory. Export memory itself was found to be beneficial to export growth when responsiveness to export information is low, but detrimental under high levels of export information responsiveness. In turn, response to export information is driven by export information acquisition and distribution, as well as by the management of mental export models. Export memory use is also enhanced by the latter and the integration of export information within organizational systems.Research limitations/implications – The authors examine learning ori...