An Assessment of the Exporting Literature: Using Theory and Data to Identify Future Research Directions

TLDR: The authors provide a qualitative review of the core theoretical exporting areas and evaluate the exporting domain quantitatively over six decades (1958-2016) using multidimensional scaling and apply established bibliometric principles to offer an understanding of the field and to provide suggestions for future exporting research.

Abstract: Exporting research is an established facet of the field of international marketing. That stated, the radical increase in recent export activity necessitates a sustained research effort devoted to the topic. In this article, the authors provide a qualitative review of the core theoretical exporting areas and evaluate the exporting domain quantitatively over six decades (1958–2016). For the quantitative analysis, they use multidimensional scaling and apply established bibliometric principles to offer an understanding of the field and to provide suggestions for future exporting research. For the evaluations, the authors used data from 830 articles with 52,191 citations from 35 journals. Using cocitation analysis as the basis to evaluate the data, they propose a series of intellectual structure implications on exporting that relate to internationalization process stages, dynamic capabilities, knowledge scarcity, social networks, export marketing strategy, absorptive capacity and learning, and nonlinea...

Figures

Figure 5: Longitudinal Development of Exporting Research

Figure 2: Exporting Literature Intellectual Structure, 1993-2002

Figure 3: Exporting Literature Intellectual Structure, 2003-2012

Figure 4: Exporting Literature Intellectual Structure, 2013-2016

Table 1: Overview of Main Theoretical Perspectives in Exporting Research

Figure 1: Exporting Literature Intellectual Structure, 1958-1992

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This is a repository copy of An Assessment of the Exporting Literature: Using Theory and
Data to Identify Future Research Directions.
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Version: Accepted Version
Article:
Chabowski, B, Kekec, P, Morgan, NA et al. (3 more authors) (2018) An Assessment of the
Exporting Literature: Using Theory and Data to Identify Future Research Directions.
Journal of International Marketing, 26 (1). pp. 118-143. ISSN 1069-031X
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AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EXPORTING LITERATURE:
USING THEORY AND DATA TO IDENTIFY FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
Brian Chabowski
University of Tulsa
brian-chabowski@utulsa.edu
Pinar Kekec
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
prunnalls@unomaha.edu
Neil A. Morgan
Indiana University
namorgan@gmail.com
G. Tomas M. Hult
Michigan State University
hult@msu.edu
Travis Walkowiak
Nielsen N.V.
walkowiak@broad.msu.edu
Blake Runnalls
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Brunnalls2@unl.edu

i
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EXPORTING LITERATURE:
USING THEORY AND DATA TO IDENTIFY FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
ABSTRACT
Exporting research is an established aspect of the field of international marketing. That
stated, the radical increase in recent export activity has necessitated a sustained research effort
devoted to the topic. Based on the world’s emphasis on exporting, we provide a qualitative
review of the core theoretical exporting areas and then evaluate the exporting domain
quantitatively over six decades (1958-2016). For the quantitative analysis, we use
multidimensional scaling and apply established bibliometric principles to offer an understanding
of the field and to provide suggestions to be considered for future exporting research. With 35
journals contributing data to the study, 830 articles with 52,191 citations were used for the
evaluations. Using co-citation analysis as the basis to evaluate the data, we propose a series of
intellectual structure implications on exporting that relate to internationalization process stages,
dynamic capabilities, knowledge scarcity, social networks, export marketing strategy, absorptive
capacity and learning, and non-linear performance relationships involving marketing channel
relationships.

1
Exporting research has been discussed in significant ways in the academic literature since
1958 and it is becoming even more prominent in today’s scholarly literature. Basically,
international trade is prominent worldwide and exporting is the core vehicle for its growth. Since
2000, global merchandise exports have risen 150% from $6.055 trillion to $16.055 trillion in
2015, peaking at $19.123 trillion in 2014 (World Bank 2017). This increase in exporting is
testament to its focal position as a key driver of economic activity (Leonidou and Katsikeas
2010). In fact, the central importance of exporting to international business is well-established
and long-standing (Bilkey and Tesar 1977; Cavusgil and Zou 1994; Czinkota and Johnston 1983;
Leonidou and Katsikeas 1996). Long acknowledged as a swift way to penetrate international
markets (Johanson and Vahlne 1977, 1990; Root 1994), a vast array of topics has been examined
in exporting research, including behaviors and activities prior to export as well as the
relationship among issues such as export strategy, firm-based attributes, and performance (e.g.,
Cavusgil and Zou 1994; Christensen, da Rocha, and Gertner 1987; Wiedersheim-Paul, Olson,
and Welch 1978). Though exporting has been examined to a large degree in developed markets,
emerging markets have also been producing competitive exporters over this time period (Smits et
al. 2015; United Nations 2017). As a result, a dynamic and vibrant marketplace has been created
in which the exporting domain has grown substantially.
Along with the expansion in exporting activity among firms globally has come an
enlargement of the topic's analysis in the academic world. An emphasis on exporting research in
developed economies remains an important facet of the literature (Eberhard and Craig 2013;
Zeriti et al. 2014). However, there is also an increasing focus in studies on emerging markets due
to a general shift in business activity toward developing economies (Gashi, Hashi, and Pugh
2014; He, Brouthers, and Filatotchev 2013; Ju, Zhao, and Wang 2014). As a result, this changing

2
market focus of exporting has provided the opportunity to enrich and advance the central issues
of exporting research into new areas.
There has been considerable academic work providing overviews of the state of the
exporting literature. Usually, the most fundamental basis on which to base a current evaluation of
this research area is to categorize previous studies in some fashion (cf. Leonidou and Katsikeas
2010). These author-driven arrangements usually summarize the research design, research scope,
study methodology, and thematic areas of the extant literature. Such a classification approach is
also sometimes accompanied by a general discussion concerning research directions (Chen,
Sousa, and He 2016; Leonidou, Katsikeas, and Coudounaris 2010; Li, He, and Sousa 2017).
Taken together, these examinations of the exporting phenomenon provide an understanding of
the state of the field and some guidelines for the future. While we are due for such a literature
review, we also want to use state-of-the-art methodologies to glean a deeper understanding of
scholarly exporting works.
With this in mind, we increase the value of our review by evaluating the exporting
literature from a quantitative perspective and then offer future research- and practitioner-focused
suggestions based on the findings related to the domain's intellectual structure. We bring in
perspectives of both quantitative and qualitative mechanisms to the review. Our approach
reflects theory- and method-based overviews of exporting to offer distinct proposals for
consideration in future research. For instance, our qualitative approach on the exporting literature
reflects recent efforts to capture relevant theoretical perspectives which have influenced
exporting and international marketing (Aykol, Leonidou, and Zeriti 2012). In addition, whereas
meta-analyses focus on the construct as the unit of analysis (Leonidou et al. 2014), our
quantitative approach emphasizes the publication itself as the basis for examination. As such, we

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What are the contributions in "This is a repository copy of an assessment of the exporting literature: using theory and data to identify future research directions" ?

Based on the world’s emphasis on exporting, the authors provide a qualitative review of the core theoretical exporting areas and then evaluate the exporting domain quantitatively over six decades ( 1958-2016 ). For the quantitative analysis, the authors use multidimensional scaling and apply established bibliometric principles to offer an understanding of the field and to provide suggestions to be considered for future exporting research. With 35 journals contributing data to the study, 830 articles with 52,191 citations were used for the evaluations. Using co-citation analysis as the basis to evaluate the data, the authors propose a series of intellectual structure implications on exporting that relate to internationalization process stages, dynamic capabilities, knowledge scarcity, social networks, export marketing strategy, absorptive capacity and learning, and non-linear performance relationships involving marketing channel relationships. 

Q2. What future works have the authors mentioned in the paper "This is a repository copy of an assessment of the exporting literature: using theory and data to identify future research directions" ?

Future research should try to identify actions that can be taken by firms to move between different relationship stages as a result of economic change. Future researchers may consider a counter approach and test under which conditions psychic distance promotes learning, thus leading to more successful future market entries. Using institutional theory as a lens, future researchers may examine legitimacy issues within cognitive and regulatory contexts. Thus, future studies could explore how institutional gaps impact country image and attractiveness as well as how these gaps impact the development and success of export exchanges. 

Q3. What are the main factors that help to stabilize firms?

Normative forces help to routinize actions and behavior, allowing firms to stabilize (Emery and Trist 1965; Meyer and Rowan 1977; Terreberry 1968). 

Q4. What is the definition of a necessary and sufficient condition for marketing practice?

Managing relationships between exchange partners is a necessary and sufficient condition for marketing practice as marketing actions cannot take place without the exchange of value between trading parties (Alderson 1965). 

Q5. What are the main factors that contribute to the quality of partner relationships?

other dimensions such as reciprocity and cooperation have been included as contributing factors to the overall quality of partner relationships (Palmatier et al. 2006). 

Q6. What is the fifth direction that could benefit the exporting literature?

A fifth direction that could benefit the exporting literature relates to an integration ofinternationalization inexperience cost and export marketing strategy (Eriksson et al. 

Q7. What is the fourth topic that has not been studied much?

The fourth topic that has not been studied much relates to the combination of researchrelated to dynamic capabilities and social networks in emerging market export contexts (Teece, Pisano, and Shuen 1997; Zhou, Wu, and Luo 2007). 

Q8. What are the main factors that managers must consider when coordinating export strategy?

As resources can be categorized as organizational, entrepreneurial, and technological in nature, there are many human and technical factors which managers must consider when coordinating export strategy (Dhanaraj and Beamish 2003; Gashi, Hashi, and Pugh 2014). 

Q9. What are the three general issues which have become prominent in recent exporting research?

More directly, there are three general issues which have become prominent in recent exporting research: (1) information, knowledge, and learning; (2) resource configuration, market-oriented35organizational culture, and strategy; and (3) networking and inter-organizational relationships. 

Q10. What is the first opportunity for advancing the exporting literature?

The first opportunity for advancing the exporting literature comes from a scarcity ofstudies emphasizing the differences of capabilities, implementation, and performance in the internationalization process stages (Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul 1975; Morgan, Katsikeas, and Vorhies 2012). 

Q11. What is the reason for the differences in the rate of innovation acceptance in export markets?

Based on innovation s disruptive nature, the rate of innovation acceptance in export markets will likely differ due to customers need to perceive value in new or modified offerings (Silva, Styles, and Lages 2017). 

Q12. What was the basis for the analysis of the domain's development?

This was done using theoccurrence of publications appearing in research groups in subsequent time periods and provided the basis for an analysis of the domain's development across the study's four periods (Samiee, Chabowski, and Hult 2015).