Responsive and proactive market orientation and SMEs’ export venture performance: The mediating role of marketing capabilities
(R2020-84905)

AUTHORS

Mateja Bodlaj, University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business; Barbara Čater, University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business

KEYWORDS

market orientation; marketing capabilities; export venture performance

ABSTRACT

This study aims to improve our understanding of how export market orientation and marketing capabilities relate to export venture performance. Results are reported on a sample of 342 Slovenian exporting SMEs. Findings show that responsive and proactive market orientation have different effects on pricing and product development capabilities, which in turn are both positively related to differentiation advantage. Differentiation advantage mediates the effect of both product development and pricing capabilities on export venture performance. These findings may help exporting SMEs to decide how to allocate their limited resources into the improvements of export market orientation, product development and pricing capabilities