Marketing strategy determinants of export performance: a meta-analysis
Section snippets
Search criteria
Six criteria were developed to screen studies for inclusion in this analysis. First, although the major part of empirical research in exporting is fairly recent, for the sake of completeness, all research conducted since 1960 has been considered. Second, the focus of the study must be on the relationship between marketing strategy variables and export performance, either as a primary objective or as part of a wider research design.7
Characteristics of studies reviewed
As empirical findings tend to be idiosyncratic in relation to the research method employed, it is important to examine methodological aspects of the studies included in this meta-analytical exercise. The research methodologies used in the studies were evaluated along five dimensions. These refer to (a) fieldwork characteristics (i.e., time of study, geographic focus, and product type), (b) sampling and data collection (i.e., unit of analysis, company size, sampling design, sample size, response
Findings and analysis
The p-values derived for each of the 32 export marketing strategy variables were subsequently combined using the method of “adding weighted Z-values.”13 In this context, three levels of analyses were pursued: (a) the influence of marketing strategy variables on
Limitations
As with any study using meta-analysis, the findings reported here should be viewed within the context of limitations endemic to such studies. First, meta-analysis procedures have been criticized for mixing results from research of different quality (Wachter, 1998) and for their bias toward the publication of studies that reject their null hypotheses (Rust et al., 1990). Second, although every effort was made to systematically and comprehensively review the export literature and select the
Conclusions and implications
While this study has primarily assessed the association between export marketing strategy and performance (based on analysis of the extant literature), it also provides some valuable insights into the general debate on the strategy–performance relationship. The strategic management literature has reported mixed results with regard to the relationship between strategy and performance Greenley, 1986, Pearce et al., 1987. The main variables considered in the present study (i.e., export marketing
Future research directions
This meta-analytical study has yielded valuable information, which future research can build upon in numerous ways. First, studies relating the full set of marketing strategy variables identified in this assessment to various facets of export performance within the context of an integrated model would be of immense value (Evangelista, 1994). Such studies should be supplemented by additional marketing strategy variables not adequately covered by extant empirical research, including foreign
Studies included in meta analysis
Amine and Cavusgil, 1986Atuahene-Gima, 1995
Beamish et al., 1993
Beamish et al., 1986
Bilkey, 1982
Cavusgil and Zou, 1994
Cooper and Kleinschmidt, 1985
Cunningham and Spigel, 1971
De Luz, 1993
Diamantopoulos and Inglis, 1988
Dominguez and Sequeira, 1993
Donthu and Kim, 1993
Evangelista, 1994
Fenwick and Amine, 1979
Fraser and Hite, 1990
Johnson and Arunthanes, 1995
Karafakioglu, 1986
Katsikeas et al., 1996
Kaynak and Kuan, 1993
Koh and Robicheaux, 1988
Lee and Yang, 1990
Louter et al., 1991
Madsen, 1987
McDougal and
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