Ideal and actual product adaptation in US exporting firms: market‐related determinants and impact on performance

Investigates how export market characteristics such as local government regulation, infrastructure differences, export market lag, cultural differences, end‐user differences in tastes and preferences, and competitive intensity affect ideal and actual product adaptation. Explores how these effects varied by consumer versus industrial products. A mail survey of medium‐sized export firms provided the data for hypothesis testing. The results suggested the major market factors driving adaptation were government regulation, infrastructure differences and market lag. Evaluates the effects of adaptation on several dimensions of firm performance. Sales growth was the only dimension significantly affected by adaptation.