Cross-Functional Dispersion of Export Marketing Decision-Making and Export Performance: A Study of UK Firms—An Abstract

Abstract

Participation of multiple functional areas within firms in marketing decision-making (i.e. cross-functional dispersion of influence on marketing activities) is a key predictor of business performance, because it provides firms with the ability to effectively respond to changes in business environments. However, research concerning the impact of cross-functional dispersion of influence on export marketing decisions on export performance is lacking. This is problematic because it is well established in the literature that the relationships between overall business performance and its antecedents do not translate automatically to the export context, because of the distinctive nature of the firm’s export activities. In this study, we seek to rectify this situation via analyzing the empirical link between cross-functional dispersion of export marketing decision-making and export performance. We also examine internal and external boundary conditions of such a link. Specifically, we investigate the moderating roles of export market dynamism, export information sharing, and interfunctional goal alignment. We test our model using a sample of UK exporting firms. Our findings indicate that cross-functional dispersion of export marketing decision-making is useful for export performance only in circumstances where firms’ export customer environments are dynamic and, simultaneously, export technological dynamism and export information sharing are both low. In all the other cases examined, cross-functional dispersion of export marketing decision-making seems to harm export performance.