The effects of top management team composition on SME export performance: an upper echelons perspective

Abstract

Survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly depends on their ability to exploit opportunities in foreign markets. Given their limited resources, exporting is one of the most viable modes of entry into foreign markets for SMEs. The present study is an attempt to contribute to the research that identifies the factors associated with SME export performance. Specifically, the association between top management team demographic composition and SME export performance was examined in an emerging market context and drawing from upper echelons perspective. Focusing on such commonly examined upper echelons attributes as age, education level, and tenure, the present research assessed whether top management team composition distinguished between SMEs in terms of their export levels. Data were collected from 128 SMEs operating in Ankara and Bursa regions of Turkey. Results obtained by a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that SMEs with lower mean industry tenure and higher age separation diversity had higher levels of export performance.

Exploring Risk Perception and Degree of Internationalization of Brazilian Small-and-Medium Enterprises

“…Our findings suggest that tolerance for ambiguity alone may not be a significant antecedent of managers' risk perception when internationalizing, contradicting previous findings on both emerging (Acar, 2016) and developed markets (Acedo & Jones, 2007).…”

“…This claim fits SME reality, where the decision to internationalize usually relies upon a single manager or owner (Acar, 2016;Eduardsen & Marinova, 2016). However, we argue that the perception of risk in internationalization is not a product of managers' tolerance for ambiguity alone.…”

“…In the case of SMEs, single managers and owners are usually responsible for internationalization decisions (Acar, 2016;Schweizer, 2015). Thus, how these managers perceive risks affects the decision to internationalize (Acedo & Florin, 2006;Eduardsen & Marinova, 2016).…”

“…Relying on the upper echelon perspective and for the development of the Uppsala mode of internationalization, scholars focused on the micro-level process of how top team management (TMT) perceived risks and uncertainties concerning firms' international operations (Acar, 2016;Figueira-deLemos et al, 2011). In the case of SMEs, single managers and owners are usually responsible for internationalization decisions (Acar, 2016;Schweizer, 2015).…”

An investigation of the impact of competitive strategy on export performance: A literature review in the period 1998-2018

“…Export is the most commonly used form of business involvement in international activities (Morgan, Katsikeas and Vorhies, 2012) and, in today's global world, it is becoming a condition for firms' survival (Acar, 2016). Apart from enabling companies to achieve sustainable growth (Chugan and Singh, 2014), export significantly contributes to the prosperity of the national economy (Ahmed, Julian, Baalbaki and Hadidian, 2004).…”