IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ris/tecemp/2214.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Innovation capabilities and export performance in manufacturing SMEs

Author

Listed:
  • Alegre, Joaquin

    (University of Valencia, Spain)

  • Ferreras-Méndez, José Luis

    (University of Valencia, Spain)

  • Fernández-Mesa, Anabel

    (University of Valencia, Spain)

  • Strange, Roger

    (University of Sussex, United Kingdom)

Abstract

Export performance has become an increasingly important issue for SMEs in recent years as a result of the widespread phenomenon of globalization and the economic recession in some regions. Innovation has been proved to play a determinant role in export performance. In this paper, we propose a new comprehensive conceptualisation of innovation capabilities for manufacturing firms that includes capabilities in three key areas for innovation activities: technology, marketing and design. Using a database on Spanish manufacturing SMEs, we check the validity and reliability of this new innovation capabilities conceptualisation and then we test its effect on export performance. We find that those firms that are proficient in technology, marketing and design show higher levels of export performance. These findings are important for the innovation and internationalisation literature as well as for SME managers: emphasising technology, marketing and design contributes to facilitating SMEs’ performance in the international arena.

Suggested Citation

  • Alegre, Joaquin & Ferreras-Méndez, José Luis & Fernández-Mesa, Anabel & Strange, Roger, 2022. "Innovation capabilities and export performance in manufacturing SMEs," TEC Empresarial, School of Business, Costa Rica Institute of Technology (ITCR), vol. 16(3), pages 55-71.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:tecemp:2214
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://revistas.tec.ac.cr/index.php/tec_empresarial/article/view/6367
    File Function: Full text
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christoph Zott, 2003. "Dynamic capabilities and the emergence of intraindustry differential firm performance: insights from a simulation study," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 97-125, February.
    2. Villar, Cristina & Alegre, Joaquín & Pla-Barber, José, 2014. "Exploring the role of knowledge management practices on exports: A dynamic capabilities view," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 38-44.
    3. Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Fotiadis, Thomas A. & Christodoulides, Paul & Spyropoulou, Stavroula & Katsikeas, Constantine S., 2015. "Environmentally friendly export business strategy: Its determinants and effects on competitive advantage and performance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 798-811.
    4. Stoian, Maria-Cristina & Rialp, Alex & Rialp, Josep, 2011. "Export performance under the microscope: A glance through Spanish lenses," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 117-135, April.
    5. Mark Rogers, 2004. "Networks, Firm Size and Innovation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 141-153, March.
    6. Oura, Mauricio Massao & Zilber, Silvia Novaes & Lopes, Evandro Luiz, 2016. "Innovation capacity, international experience and export performance of SMEs in Brazil," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 921-932.
    7. Michael Song & Cornelia Droge & Sangphet Hanvanich & Roger Calantone, 2005. "Marketing and technology resource complementarity: an analysis of their interaction effect in two environmental contexts," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 259-276, March.
    8. Roper, Stephen & Love, James H., 2002. "Innovation and export performance: evidence from the UK and German manufacturing plants," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(7), pages 1087-1102, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fernández-Mesa, Anabel & Alegre, Joaquín, 2015. "Entrepreneurial orientation and export intensity: Examining the interplay of organizational learning and innovation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 148-156.
    2. Stephanie E. Mansion & Andreas Bausch, 2020. "Intangible assets and SMEs’ export behavior: a meta-analytical perspective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 727-760, October.
    3. Yan, Ji & Tsinopoulos, Christos & Xiong, Yu, 2021. "Unpacking the impact of innovation ambidexterity on export performance: Microfoundations and infrastructure investment," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    4. Prange, Christiane & Pinho, José Carlos, 2017. "How personal and organizational drivers impact on SME international performance: The mediating role of organizational innovation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1114-1123.
    5. Gupta, Parul & Chauhan, Sumedha, 2021. "Firm capabilities and export performance of small firms: A meta-analytical review," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 558-576.
    6. Lewandowska, Małgorzata Stefania & Szymura-Tyc, Maja & Gołębiowski, Tomasz, 2016. "Innovation complementarity, cooperation partners, and new product export: Evidence from Poland," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 3673-3681.
    7. Lota D. Tamini & Aristide B. Valéa, 2021. "Investment in research and development and export performances of Canadian small and medium‐sized agri‐food firms," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 69(3), pages 311-336, September.
    8. Navarro-García, Antonio & Ledesma-Chaves, Pablo & Gil-Cordero, Eloy & De-Juan-Vigaray, María Dolores, 2024. "Intangible resources, static and dynamic capabilities and perceived competitive advantage in exporting firms. A PLS-SEM/fsQCA approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    9. Maree Storer & Paul Hyland, 2011. "Utilizing Industry-led Innovation Capacity to Enhance Supply Chain Performance : An Empirical Study," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 5(6), pages 1-55, December.
    10. José Luis Ferreras-Méndez & Anabel Fernández-Mesa & Joaquín Alegre, 2019. "Export Performance in SMEs: The Importance of External Knowledge Search Strategies and Absorptive Capacity," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 413-437, June.
    11. Cao, Lanlan & Navare, Jyoti & Jin, Zhongqi, 2018. "Business model innovation: How the international retailers rebuild their core business logic in a new host country," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 543-562.
    12. Ramdani, Boumediene & Belaid, Fateh & Goutte, Stephane, 2023. "SME internationalisation: Do the types of innovation matter?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    13. Miocevic, Dario, 2021. "Dynamic exporting capabilities and SME’s profitability: Conditional effects of market and product diversification," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 21-32.
    14. Srivastava, Mohit & Moser, Roger & Hartmann, Evi, 2018. "The networking behavior of Indian executives under environmental uncertainty abroad: An exploratory analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 230-245.
    15. Pla-Barber, José & Alegre, Joaquín, 2007. "Analysing the link between export intensity, innovation and firm size in a science-based industry," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 275-293, June.
    16. Goudarz Azar & Rian Drogendijk, 2014. "Psychic Distance, Innovation, and Firm Performance," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 54(5), pages 581-613, October.
    17. Waleczek, Peter & von den Driesch, Till & Flatten, Tessa C. & Brettel, Malte, 2019. "On the dynamic bundles behind operations management and research and development," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 175-187.
    18. Dong, Guowei & Kokko, Ari & Zhou, Haoyong, 2022. "Innovation and export performance of emerging market enterprises: The roles of state and foreign ownership in China," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6).
    19. Azar, Goudarz & Ciabuschi, Francesco, 2017. "Organizational innovation, technological innovation, and export performance: The effects of innovation radicalness and extensiveness," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 324-336.
    20. Saridakis, George & Idris, Bochra & Hansen, Jared M. & Dana, Leo Paul, 2019. "SMEs' internationalisation: When does innovation matter?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 250-263.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ris:tecemp:2214. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Esteban Lafuente (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eaitccr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.