Five decades of research on export barriers: Review and future directions

Eldrede T. Kahiya

International Business Review, 2018, vol. 27, issue 6, 1172-1188

Abstract: Although research on export barriers spans five decades, no single prior study has systematically reviewed findings in this field. This study enriches the discourse on internationalization through a systematic review of the factors associated with export barriers, the theories underpinning this, and the exact nature of the relationships. Findings indicate the bulk of empirical studies focus on drivers of export barriers. The study identifies thirty-six such variables, falling in the categories of firm demographics, export venture characteristics, managerial factors, environmental and operational factors, and international trading environment. Smaller sub-streams of research investigate export barriers as predictors, mediators, and moderators. A vote counting approach dissects the associations (i.e. positive, negative, and weak) between the various factors and export barriers. Moreover, the study identifies four explicit (i.e. resource-based view, incremental internationalization, network, and institutional theories) and two implicit (i.e. attribution and rationalization) theories underlying the associations. Concerning research design and methodology, the study highlights the underrepresentation of emerging markets, longitudinal studies, cross-national comparisons, and advanced multivariate analytical tools. Finally, the study draws key implications for managers, policymakers, and educators, before setting an agenda for future research.

Keywords: Export barriers; barriers to internationalization; exporting; Internationalization; systematic literature review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (60)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:iburev:v:27:y:2018:i:6:p:1172-1188

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DOI: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2018.04.008

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