The strategy tripod perspective in explaining firms' export performance

Abstract

Current institution-based view studies in the literature have focused on macro-level data, therefore, they provide limited implication on export performance and institutional profile relationship. This is a crucial problem and it is required to look at the relationship more closely by performing organization-level research. The article deals with the institution-based view by introducing a novel methodological perspective. The institution-based view and strategy tripod perspective constitute the methodological basis of the study. The authors reframed conceptual model of Su, Peng and Xie [2016] and viewed the mediating role of institutional and industrial variables instead of the moderating role. In line with this purpose, the authors gathered survey data consisting of a sample of 187 export firms operating in Turkey and used Baron and Kenny method to test the mediating role of variables by applying structural equation modelling. The research findings indicate that institutional profile in which the firms are embedded and the strategic position in the industry have a full mediation role in the relationship between the resources and capabilities of firms and export performance. Also, resource and capabilities might affect the strategic positioning and institution perception of managers. The theoretical and practical implication of the study revealed that institutions matter as emphasized in literature. That is the reason why academician and managers have to consider the function of institutional profile for better performance, as well as the function of resource acquisition and strategic positioning.