The Effect of Company Resources and Environmental Conditions on Export Performance through Firms’ Export Market Orientation and Marketing Capabilities

The purpose of this study is to use the resource-based view and contingency theory to examine the relationships between export market orientation (EMO), marketing capabilities (MKTC), and export performance (EP). Additionally, we analyze the effects of company resources (size, years of exporting activity, number of foreign markets served, and the existence of an export department) and environmental conditions (market turbulence and competitive intensity) on export market orientation. The proposed model and research hypotheses are tested using a partial least squares path methodology, with data collected from 249 Greek exporting companies. Results indicate that all company resources, except the years of exporting activity, and both environmental conditions influence EMO and that EMO determines EP both directly and indirectly through MKTC. These results extend previous empirical findings on the role of EMO in the Greek market and provide valuable insights on the effects of both internal and external conditions on the strategic behavior of exporting companies, that can help firms improve their export performance.