ENHANCING EXPORT PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN EMERGING MARKETS

Year 2019, , 100 - 104, 30.07.2019

Arsalan Safari Ali Salman Saleh

https://doi.org/10.17261/Pressacademia.2019.1075

Abstract

Purpose- Although there are various benefits for SMEs to expand their businesses
to international markets, there are many obstacles that discourage them to move
internationally, especially in emerging markets. This study focuses on the
capacity building to enhance SME export activities in an emerging market.

Methodology- Eventhough the latest literature in the area of export performance have
focused on firms from the emerging countries, studies in this area are still
limited. Earlier research in this area has mostly focused solely on the
determinants of exports performance from either internal factors, external
factors or both without using adequately potential mediating factors which
could affect export performance. This paper develops and tests a holistic
framework for SME export considering all aspects of export drivers, and
inhibitors. This theoretical framework incorporates and tests three potential
mediators (i.e., business strategy, export marketing strategy and innovation
strategy) as well.

Findings- The initial data analysis confirms and shows the significant effects of
various internal and external firms’ determinants on their export performance.
The final research finding have significant implications for understanding all
key drivers of SME export in Qatar, and it helps policymakers and regulators to
improve the current SME ecosystem in Qatar.

Conclusion- The final results of this study can be extended to
other emerging markets with similar economic and legal structure.

Keywords

Export performance, structural equation modeling, SMEs, Qatar

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