IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v13y2023i4p21582440231210119.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Promoting the International Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Through Cross-Border E-Commerce Development

Author

Listed:
  • Huwei Wen
  • Yutong Liu
  • Fengxiu Zhou

Abstract

Based on 14,020 observations of Chinese A-share listed SMEs from 2007 to 2021, this study uses the difference-in-differences (DID) model to investigate the impact of cross-border e-commerce on enterprises’ international competitiveness. The results show that the comprehensive pilot zone of cross-border e-commerce significantly promotes SMEs’ overseas business income of SMEs, indicating that cross-border e-commerce is a powerful tool for improving corporate international competitiveness. In addition, the total factor productivity (TFP) of SMEs has been significantly improved in the process of expanding overseas markets. The triple DID model shows that the pilot policies of cross-border e-commerce significantly promoted the TFP of international enterprises, which means that cross-border e-commerce is conducive to improving international competitiveness. This study also verifies the market information mechanism of cross-border e-commerce, which enables SMEs to improve their international competitiveness. Developing and emerging countries should accelerate the institutional reform of digital trade to facilitate SME internationalization.

Suggested Citation

  • Huwei Wen & Yutong Liu & Fengxiu Zhou, 2023. "Promoting the International Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Through Cross-Border E-Commerce Development," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:13:y:2023:i:4:p:21582440231210119
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440231210119
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440231210119
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/21582440231210119?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jesús C. Peña-Vinces & Lourdes Casanova & Jorge Guillen & David Urbano, 2017. "International Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Peru, a Latin-American Emerging Market," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(1), pages 150-169, January.
    2. Jones Luís Schaefer & Paulo Roberto Tardio & Ismael Cristofer Baierle & Elpidio Oscar Benitez Nara, 2023. "GIANN—A Methodology for Optimizing Competitiveness Performance Assessment Models for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, February.
    3. Juan Alcácer & John Cantwell & Lucia Piscitello, 2016. "Internationalization in the information age: A new era for places, firms, and international business networks?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(5), pages 499-512, June.
    4. Viktor Fredrich & Siegfried Gudergan & Ricarda B. Bouncken, 2022. "Dynamic Capabilities, Internationalization and Growth of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises: The Roles of Research and Development Intensity and Collaborative Intensity," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 611-642, August.
    5. Alessandria, George & Choi, Horag, 2014. "Do falling iceberg costs explain recent U.S. export growth?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 311-325.
    6. Zhou, Fengxiu & Wen, Huwei, 2022. "Trade policy uncertainty, development strategy, and export behavior: Evidence from listed industrial companies in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    7. Shuzhong Ma & Yuxi Chai & Hongsheng Zhang, 2018. "Rise of Cross†border E†commerce Exports in China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 26(3), pages 63-87, May.
    8. Olley, G Steven & Pakes, Ariel, 1996. "The Dynamics of Productivity in the Telecommunications Equipment Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(6), pages 1263-1297, November.
    9. Jean, Ruey-Jer “Bryan” & Kim, Daekwan, 2020. "Internet and SMEs' internationalization: The role of platform and website," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(1).
    10. Mahmut Yasar & Carl H. Nelson & Roderick Rejesus, 2006. "Productivity and Exporting Status of Manufacturing Firms: Evidence from Quantile Regressions," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 142(4), pages 675-694, December.
    11. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
    12. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    13. Dante Di Gregorio & Martina Musteen & Douglas E Thomas, 2009. "Offshore outsourcing as a source of international competitiveness for SMEs," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(6), pages 969-988, August.
    14. Wen, Huwei & Wen, Changyong & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2022. "Impact of digitalization and environmental regulation on total factor productivity," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    15. Lingduo Jiang & Shuangshuang Liu & Guofeng Zhang, 2022. "Digital trade barriers and export performance: Evidence from China," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(4), pages 1401-1430, April.
    16. Panagiotis Piperopoulos & Richard Scase, 2009. "Competitiveness of small and medium sized enterprises: towards a two dimensional model of innovation and business clusters," International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(5), pages 479-499.
    17. Túlio Cravo & Adrian Gourlay & Bettina Becker, 2012. "SMEs and regional economic growth in Brazil," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 217-230, February.
    18. Marc J. Melitz, 2003. "The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(6), pages 1695-1725, November.
    19. Zhou, Fengxiu & Wen, Huwei & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2022. "Broadband infrastructure and export growth," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(5).
    20. Wooldridge, Jeffrey M., 2009. "On estimating firm-level production functions using proxy variables to control for unobservables," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 104(3), pages 112-114, September.
    21. Qianxiao Zhang & Yixue Duan, 2023. "How Digitalization Shapes Export Product Quality: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-20, April.
    22. Shufang Zheng & Fengxiu Zhou & Huwei Wen, 2022. "The Relationship between Trade Liberalization and Environmental Pollution across Enterprises with Different Levels of Viability in China," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(8), pages 2125-2138, June.
    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. Son, Sung Hyun & Kim, Young-Han, 2024. "Does cross-border M&A improve merging firms’ domestic performances?," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    2. Xuefeng, Qian & Yaşar, Mahmut, 2016. "Export Market Diversification and Firm Productivity: Evidence from a Large Developing Country," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 28-47.
    3. Yang, Yong & Mallick, Sushanta, 2014. "Explaining cross-country differences in exporting performance: The role of country-level macroeconomic environment," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 246-259.
    4. Marianne Matthee & Neil Rankin & Tasha Naughtin & Carli Bezuidenhout, 2016. "The South African manufacturing exporter story," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-38, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Békés, Gábor & Hornok, Cecília & Muraközy, Balázs, 2016. "Globalization and the markups of European firms," Kiel Working Papers 2044, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    6. Li, Daiyue & Jin, Yanhong & Cheng, Mingwang, 2024. "Unleashing the power of industrial robotics on firm productivity: Evidence from China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 224(C), pages 500-520.
    7. Sourafel Girma & Holger Görg, 2022. "Productivity effects of processing and ordinary export market entry: A time‐varying treatments approach," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 836-853, August.
    8. Yang Yang, 2018. "Transport Infrastructure, City Productivity Growth and Sectoral Reallocation: Evidence from China," IMF Working Papers 2018/276, International Monetary Fund.
    9. Li, Shengyu, 2018. "A structural model of productivity, uncertain demand, and export dynamics," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 1-15.
    10. Jan De Loecker & Frederic Warzynski, 2012. "Markups and Firm-Level Export Status," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(6), pages 2437-2471, October.
    11. Elisa Gamberoni & Christine Gartner & Claire Giordano & Paloma Lopez-Garcia, 2016. "Is corruption efficiency-enhancing? A case study of nine Central and Eastern European countries," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 331, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    12. Nick Jacob & Giordano Mion, 2024. "On the productivity advantage of cities," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 24(5), pages 679-705.
    13. Jan De Loecker & Pinelopi K. Goldberg & Amit K. Khandelwal & Nina Pavcnik, 2016. "Prices, Markups, and Trade Reform," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 84, pages 445-510, March.
    14. Sangeeta Bansal & Massimo Filippini & Suchita Srinivasan, 2023. "How Regulation Might Fail to Reduce Energy Consumption While Still Stimulating Total Factor Productivity Growth," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 23/379, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    15. KONDO Keisuke, 2016. "Testing for Agglomeration Economies and Firm Selection in Spatial Productivity Differences: The case of Japan," Discussion papers 16098, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    16. Mertens, Matthias, 2020. "Labor market power and the distorting effects of international trade," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    17. Dimitrios Exadactylos & Massimo Riccaboni & Armando Rungi, 2019. "Talents from Abroad. Foreign Managers and Productivity in the United Kingdom," Working Papers 01/2019, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, revised Dec 2019.
    18. Jean-Charles Bricongne & Samuel Delpeuch & Margarita Lopez Forero, 2021. "Productivity Slowdown, Tax Havens and MNEs’ Intangibles: where is measured value creation?," Documents de recherche 21-01, Centre d'Études des Politiques Économiques (EPEE), Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne.
    19. Emanuele Forlani & Ralf Martin & Giordano Mion & Mirabelle Muûls, 2023. "Unraveling Firms: Demand, Productivity and Markups Heterogeneity," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(654), pages 2251-2302.
    20. Alexandre Gazaniol & Frédéric Peltrault & Jean-Marc Siroen, 2010. "Les performances des entreprises françaises implantées à l’étranger," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 435(1), pages 149-167.

    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:sae:sagope:v:13:y:2023:i:4:p:21582440231210119. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.