Determinants of Export Performance: A Case Study of Gems and Jewelry Industries in Thailand

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between firm’s resources and export performance through export marketing strategies. The study also examined the role of export marketing strategies as a mediator on the relationship among firm’s resources, firm’s capability and export performance of gems and jewelry industries in Thailand. The conceptual framework of the research is based on the Resource-Based View of the firm (RBV) theory and used to identify advantage-generating resources and capabilities as critical determinants of the export performance. The independent variable was RBV which had been expected to have an impact on the performance of gems and jewelry exports in Thailand. The components of RBV comprised of firm’s resources and firm’s capability. The dependent variable was export performance. In addition, the export marketing strategies were examined as a mediator. The research employed a quantitative survey method using a structured questionnaire as the main instrument for collecting the data gained from 323 executives of gems and jewelry exporters in Thailand. The structural equation modelling (SEM) was assigned to test the hypotheses. It was found that firm’s resources had a positive direct effect on export performance and export marketing strategies. Firm’s capability had a positive direct effect on export marketing strategies but it had no significant direct effect on export performance whereas export marketing strategies had a positive direct effect on export performance. With reference to these findings, it could be concluded that the export marketing strategies were a mediator among firm’s resources, firm’s capability and export performance.