رابطه تجربی بین تنوع حالت های صادراتی و عملکرد صادراتی: آزمایش مبتنی بر احتمال و سازمانی The empirical link between export entry mode diversity and export performance: A contingency- and institutional-based examination

1. Introduction Exporting is a critical mechanism for firms to expand internationally (Chen, Sousa, & He, 2016). Firms can adopt various entry modes in their export activities, such as exporting via foreign sales agents, exporting through foreign importers and distributors, exporting through firms’ foreign offices and subsidiaries, and exporting via collaborating with other firms (e.g. commercial franchising, licensing). The literature highlights entry mode(s) adopted by firms in exporting as crucial in predicting export performance (Cavusgil & Zou, 1994; Ngo, Janssen, Leonidou, & Christodoulides, 2016). Existing studies often explore the performance outcomes of choosing one entry mode over another. In this context, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the impact of adopting multiple export entry modes on export performance. In other words, researchers have failed to examine the relationship between export entry mode diversity and export performance. This is unfortunate, as firms frequently adopt more than one entry mode across their portfolio of export markets (McNaughton, 2002). Therefore, a crucial question persists as to whether firms should pursue various entry modes in their export activities (i.e. increase their export entry diversity levels) or whether, alternatively, firms ought to adopt a single entry mode across their portfolio of export operations. In the present study, we seek to address this important research gap by examining, for the first time, the impact of export entry mode diversity on export performance. Furthermore, we draw on contingency and institutional theories to identify potential moderators of such a link. Those are the magnitude of export institutional barriers faced by firms, the level of uncertainty that characterizes firms’ export environments, and firms’ degree of export geographical scope. We contend that export entry mode diversity has a positive effect on export performance. In addition, we argue that such an impact becomes greater when higher levels of institutional barriers characterize firms’ export environments, and when firms face greater levels of environmental uncertainty in their export activities. Finally, we predict that entry mode diversity is more beneficial for export performance when firms pursue greater levels of export geographical scope. We test our theoretical model using cross-sectional survey data from 250 Chinese exporters. Next, we present the theoretical background of our study and develop the model hypotheses. We then outline the methodology used and present our findings. We subsequently discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of our research. This is followed by a discussion of the study limitations and directions for future research. Finally, we present the main conclusions of the study.