Firm-level export performance assessment: Review, evaluation, and development

Export performance is one of the most widely researched but least understood and most contentious areas of international marketing. To some extent this problem can be ascribed to difficulties in conceptualizing, operationalizing, and measuring the export performance construct often leading to inconsistent and conflicting results. This study reviews and evaluates more than 100 articles of pertinent empirical studies to assess and critique export performance measurements. Based on gaps identified in this evaluation, guidelines for export performance measure development are advanced, suggesting, however a contingency approach in their application. Several conclusions and implications for export strategy and future research are derived from this analysis.