Relationship capabilities, quality, and innovation as determinants of export performance

The authors employ a resource-based view perspective to understand how a set of capabilities (organizational learning, relationship, and quality capabilities) influences product strategy (product quality and product innovation) and export performance (relationship performance and economic performance). Using two types of respondents from the same firm, they find strong support for the capability-strategy-performance link. The results indicate that managers should invest in relationship management capabilities to improve product innovation and product quality, which in turn leads to export performance enhancement. Furthermore, the findings reveal that though product quality is a critical aspect in international markets, both product innovation and relationship performance play a greater role in enhancing economic performance. The authors conclude with implications for international marketing theory and practice.