The Role of Dynamic Capabilities in Export Performance of Firms from Emerging Economies

Abstract

Increased globalisation has led to a great number of firms looking for opportunities abroad, and exporting is the most common form of entry mechanism. The purpose of this study is thus to investigate the impact of dynamic capabilities on the performance of Thai exporting firms. The study follows quantitative research design using survey method with statistical treatment. Given the extant definitions of dynamic capabilities, contextual ambidexterity, an ability of the organization to pursue alignment and adaptation simultaneously, was proposed as dynamic capability in this study. Bivariate regression analysis was employed to test the hypothesis, whilst cluster analysis and one-way analysis of variance were used to explore the results. The findings indicate that dynamic capability of contextual ambidexterity significantly affected the level of export performance of the participating firms. The main contribution of this paper is the examination of performance impact of dynamic capability in exporting context which should contribute to the future development of this line of research, particularly in emerging economies.