Explaining Intentions to Change Exporting for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Abstract

This study investigates the thought process of decision-makers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) regarding their intentions to change important aspects of their exporting. Researchers develop a two-step model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in order to evaluate the effects of exporting efficacy (EE) as an antecedent of global motives, such as attitude toward exporting, pressure to change exporting, and perceived ease of changing exporting. These global motives mediate the relationship between EE and three types of intentions to change exporting (advocacy, innovation, and increased volume of exports). Based on a sample of 171 exporting decision-makers in US SMEs, researchers applied structural equation modeling to evaluate the focal model of the study. Results provide general support for the model. These results suggest that decision-makers’ confidence in the firm’s ability to export effectively positively influences exporting decision-makers’ perception of exporting opportunities which, in turn, influence the three types of exporting-change intentions.