M. Yunus Ali

Purpose: Although both institutional export assistance and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) contribute separately and positively to export performance, the interplay between them has received little attention. This study examines the role of international EO in deriving performance benefits from governmental and nongovernmental export assistance.Design/methodology/approach: In this longitudinal study, two surveys were administered at two different times: In 2011, 705 Bangladeshi apparel exporters were surveyed, and in 2019, a subsequent survey of 198 firms in multiple industries was conducted. The aim of the surveys was to assess the relationships between governmental and nongovernmental assistance, EO and export performance.Findings: The results of the first survey show that, while nongovernmental assistance influences performance directly and via EO, governmental assistance has only direct effects. Furthermore, the negative influence of government assistance on EO reduces the total effects and renders them nonsignificant. The results of the second survey demonstrate that government EPPs have both direct and indirect positive and significant effects on market performance, indicating a partial mediation, whereas quasi-governmental assistance has positive and significant direct effects as well as negative but nonsignificant indirect effects. Nongovernmental EPPs have both direct and indirect significant effects on international performance, indicating a partial mediation.Research limitations/implications: The study has important implications for researchers studying export assistance and its impact on firm performance. Instead of adopting a parochial view of government assistance, this study categorizes such assistance into three types – government, quasi-government and nongovernment. Furthermore, this study bridges the export assistance and international entrepreneurship literature by including EO.Practical implications: Entrepreneurs must emphasize the use of government assistance in order to enhance export performance. However, to promote both entrepreneurship and performance, they must emphasize nongovernment assistance. Exporters should also capitalize on the assistance extended by various quasi-governmental agencies to bolster export performance.Originality/value: Given the performance advantage of export assistance, this study highlights the contribution of the private sector in promoting export entrepreneurship while shedding light on the pernicious role of (quasi-)governmental assistance in export entrepreneurship.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore international buyer–supplier relationships in an emerging developing country context. The study examines a number of factors derived from internationalization process (IP) theory and their impacts in a novel research setting. The relational variables of trust and commitment, and their drivers, are integrated into a model examining importers’ perspectives of their supplier relationships.Design/methodology/approach: This study applied a sequential methodological approach. Initially, a conceptual framework was developed from qualitative research and then quantitatively validated using structural equation modeling (SEM). The data for this study were collected conducting in-depth interviews and survey questionnaires. For empirical validation, the SEM technique was applied to assess the proposed model.Findings: Importing firm managers perceived that the commitment of their suppliers bolstered their trust in the relationship, this contrasts with the conventional contention of a reverse relationship. The findings confirm cultural similarity facilitates communication, leading to increased knowledge and experience of importers, thereby contributing to an enhanced commitment to build trust in the relationship.Practical implications: The conceptual framework developed in this study provides a direction to manage and enhance understanding of IP and relationship outcome. The findings have strategic implications for practicing managers in developing and supporting their importer–foreign supplier relationships.Originality/value: This study is unique in assessing as well as validating key constructs of IP theory in an international exchange (importer–supplier) relationship. The study offers completely a new insight in relation to applying IP theory’s relational perspectives.

Purpose: – This study seeks to provide insights concerning the predictors of industrial importers' commitment to their foreign suppliers in a relationship paradigm involving an emerging market.Design/methodology/approach: – Integrating a review of the relevant importer-exporter and distributor-supplier relationship literature, a model of importer commitment was developed. Based on survey data obtained from industrial importers for an emerging market, CFA and SEM were employed to test the proposed theoretical model.Findings: – The findings significantly support the theoretical framework and most of the hypothesized path relationships in the model. Predictors such as importers' knowledge significantly and positively influenced commitment through the intermediation of trust, supplier opportunism had a significant and negative effect on importer commitment, again through the intermediation of trust, and transaction-specific investment had a direct effect on industrial importers' commitment. Supplier's opportunistic inclinations did not have a significant direct effect on the commitment of the importers.Research limitations/implications: – This research only considers the views of industrial importers that limits generalization. The sample size, constrained by the total number of industrial importers in the country examined, was also somewhat of a limiting factor concerning SEM modeling.Practical implications: – This study suggests the factors that export managers need to consider in maintaining long-term relationship with their foreign buyers, while contributing to building the relationship through knowledge sharing and curbing opportunistic inclinations.Originality/value: – This paper examines the antecedents of trust and commitment in industrial importer and foreign supplier relationships in the context of an emerging market. Based on the earlier literature on B2B exchanges, the role of importers' knowledge in driving commitment through the intermediation of trust offers new insights. This is particularly important because the importers are experiencing unprecedented growth opportunities. Considering their need to make decisions quickly and gain advantages from suppliers, will they remain committed to a particular supplier? Or will their commitment be strengthened by gaining knowledge of the supplier? The tested model offers unique insights.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a dominant role in emerging economies. However, most studies on buyer-seller relationship behaviour have focussed on the larger firms from developed countries with little attention being given to SMEs' import behaviour, especially those from emerging economies. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper presents findings of an empirical study conducted in an Asian emerging economy on the commitment relationships of SME importers with their foreign suppliers. Primary data were collected through a mail survey of 168 SMEs. The findings indicate that communication, knowledge and a sustainable competitive advantage are significant predictors of importer commitment; whilst cultural similarity has an impact on communication and knowledge with commitment having a direct impact on performance.

This study empirically examines determinants of E-commerce adoption by Malaysian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Research model for this study was drawn on the literature on information and communication technology, Information system, and electronic data interchange. This study tested seven hypotheses on factors that influence e-commerce adoption with empirical data from a sample of 200 SMEs in Malaysia. The findings show that relative advantage, compatibility, organizational readiness, manager's characteristics, and security have significant impact on e-commerce adoption. The study provides a clear understanding of manager's perception about e-commerce adoption in their businesses. This study is important in a global context, as SMEs in Malaysia are going for exporting their product in the global marketplace. Santrauka Šiame straipsnyje pristatomas empirinis tyrimas, kuriame analizuojamas e.-komercijos principų taikymas Malaizijos smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo įmonėse. Tyrimo modelis pristatytas šiame straipsnyje, buvo sudarytas remiantis mokslinės literatūros analize. Autoriai iškėlė 7 hipotezes, kurias vėliau bandė pagrįsti. Iškeltoms hipotezėms patvirtinti (arba paneigti) buvo atliekamas tyrimas. Tyrime dalyvavo 200 smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo įmonių, taikančių savo veikloje e.-komercijos principus. Pristatyto tyrimo metu buvo nustatyta ir tai, kad sėkmingam e-komercijos principų taikymui didelę reikšmę turi ne tik technologiniai sprendimai, bet ir žmogiškasis veiksnys. Autoriai pažymi, kad šis tyrimas yra labai svarbus Malaizijoje įsikūrusioms smulkiojo ir vidutinio verslo įmonėms, nes jame buvo vertinamos tarptautinio verslo perspektyvos globalizacijos kontekste.