Investigating the Effect of Entrepreneurial Orientation and the International Marketing Perspective on the Export Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises in Iran

Abstract

Small and medium enterprises have a large contribution in the industrial activities of different countries. The most important factor in the survival and strong presence of these companies in the domestic and international economic field is their further development and an entrepreneurial approach to the issue and the existence of a coherent and organized plan in this regard. With regards to the importance of this issue, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on the export performance of small and medium enterprises. To test the conceptual model, two quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches were used. As in the qualitative approach, the Delphi method was used by the expert group with several experts from the Commerce and Business Studies center and in a quantitative approach, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. The statistical population of the survey is all selected provincial exporters chosen by the Iranian Trade Development Organization in the form of 3 groups of agriculture, industry and mining, Hi Tech products and services. A sample of 200 individuals was selected randomly from the export managers of the aforementioned companies and they were questioned. Relations between variables by the use of Structural Equation Modeling, Smart PLS software was analyzed. The results indicate that the international marketing perspective strengthens entrepreneurship behaviors of managers (activism and risk taking). As a result, SMEs are able to increase exports, despite the benefit of managers with entrepreneurial characteristics.