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- SMEs innovation capabilities and export performance: an entrepreneurial orientation viewPublication . Ribau, Cláudia; Moreira, Antonio; Raposo, MárioAlthough there are several studies analysing how innovation capabilities influence export performance, this study aims to present the impact of a set of internal innovation capabilities on export performance of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs), with the mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation contingent upon the proactive or reactive behaviour of the firms to external stimuli. The study involves the analysis of 147 questionnaire‐based survey of managers from plastic manufacturing SMEs operating in Portugal that were subjected to a Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. The results show that proactive firms to external stimuli are not only better at innovating but also their entrepreneurial orientation capabilities underpin a better performance in international markets when compared with firms that react to external stimuli. This study has implications for SMEs aiming at increasing their export performance and innovativeness. For practitioners the findings of this study should enable SMEs owner/managers to better understand the possible impacts of innovation capabilities and entrepreneurial orientation on export performance, and thus lead to more effective SMEs management.
- Internationalisation of SMEs: a comparative perspective between Africa and Latin AmericaPublication . Moreira, Antonio; Ribau, Cláudia; Borges, Marta Isabel ValenteThis paper explores the internationalisation of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) in Africa and Latin America. A total of 97 papers covering the period between 1995 and 2017 were analysed, providing a unique comparative perspective of the internationalisation of SMEs. The analysis of the papers revealed the following six main topics: international networking; financing, export promotion; internationalisation strategies; resources and business environment/context; e-business, e-commerce; and barriers to internationalisation. The topic ‘internationalisation strategies’ is the most researched topic both regarding the internationalisation of both African and Latin American SMEs. However, while the studies on Latin American SMEs focus on rapid internationalisation, international entrepreneurship orientation and export performance, the studies on African SMEs focus on supply performance, international behaviour, internationalisation process, knowledge and key-selection of foreign markets. This provides a clear perspective on how SMEs of those two emerging continents deal with the intricacies of internationalisation.
- Moderation effects of government institutional support, active and reactive internationalization behavior on innovation capability and export performancePublication . Moreira, Antonio; Navaia, Eurico; Ribau, CláudiaAlthough innovation capabilities are important drivers of export performance, few studies address how they influence export performance in the context of emerging economies. This paper evaluates the moderating effects of government institutional support and firms’ active and reactive internationalization behaviors on the relationship between innovation capabilities and export performance. The sample analyzed is based on 250 Mozambican small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The results indicate that although innovation capabilities positively influence the export performance of Mozambican SMEs, the moderating effects of government institutional support and firms’ active and reactive internationalization behaviors were not found to be statistically significant.
- Innovation capabilities and their dimensions: a systematic literature reviewPublication . Moreira, Antonio; Navaia, Eurico; Ribau, CláudiaInnovation capabilities (ICs) represent a crucial source of competitive advantage for firms. However, the literature on ICs is extensive, leading to a diverse understanding of their nature and measurement. A notable gap exists in delineating the dimensions constituting ICs. This article aims to address this gap by identifying and pinpointing the various dimensions of ICs through a systematic literature review (SLR). The initial step involves identifying the diverse dimensions used in ICs, providing a distinctive insight for assessing their metrics. Notably, this SLR stands out as the only comprehensive analysis of various ICs dimensions, organizing them coherently. Examining 103 articles from the Web of Science and Scopus databases spanning from 2001 to 2022, the results reveal an amalgam of scales and associated approaches for IC measurement. This study contributes to the literature by systematically identifying and analyzing the main dimensions employed by researchers to measure ICs. Additionally, it highlights the foundational theoretical approaches of the identified studies. In practical terms, the study consolidates and presents the identified dimensions and metrics in integrative tables, offering researchers and companies valuable insights into diverse innovation paths that impact performance.
- Differentiation strategy and export performance in emerging countries: mediating effects of positional advantage among mozambican firmsPublication . Navaia, Eurico; Moreira, Antonio; Ribau, CláudiaSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in economic and development growth, particularly in developing countries. Their success depends on the expansion of their markets across borders, based on the strategies adopted, in which differentiation strategies and positional advantages play an important role. As an emerging country, Mozambican SMEs face a lack of resources and business environmental challenges in deploying their unique advantages when competing abroad. As such, the objective of this paper is to study the impact of differentiation strategies on the export performance of Mozambican SMEs, and the mediating effect of positional advantage on the relationship between the differentiation strategy and export performance of SMEs. To achieve this objective, an empirical study was conducted, based on a sample of 250 Mozambican firms, to test a theoretical model that applied Structural Equation Modeling using the Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) algorithm, based on SmartPLS software version 3.3.6 (SmartPLS GmbH, Oststeinbek, Germany). The results show that differentiation strategies positively impact the export performance of SMEs and that positional advantage mildly mediates the relationship between the differentiation strategy and export performance. This suggests that Mozambican SMEs may not be properly taking advantage of the positional advantage of the differentiation strategies, as the added value generated by the positional advantage is relatively modest. As such, Mozambican SMEs still need to support their positional advantages to overcome fierce international competition. This study contributes to the knowledge about the consequences of adopting differentiation strategies and positional advantages on the export performance of SMEs, particularly in the context of emerging countries.
- Beyond differentiationPublication . Navaia, Eurico; Moreira, Antonio; Ribau, CláudiaAlthough the relationship between competitive strategy and export performance has been addressed previously in the literature, the moderating effect of the competitive intensity of this relationship is little explored, especially in emerging economies. This study aims to address the moderating effect of competitive intensity in the relationship between differentiation competitive strategy and the export performance of Mozambican small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs). The study involves the analysis of 250 questionnaires directed to Managers of Mozambican SMEs, using structural equation modeling and Partial Least Squares (PLS/SEM) algorithm (SmartPLS 3.0). The findings show that differentiation strategy has a positive influence on export performance. However, competitive intensity has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between differentiation competitive strategy and export performance.
- The mediating roles of cost leadership and cost focus strategies on innovation capabilities and export performance: rResults from an emerging countryPublication . Navaia, Eurico; Moreira, Antonio; Ribau, CláudiaAlthough there are several studies analyzing how cost leadership and cost focus competitive strategies influence export performance, this article examines the relationship between innovation capabilities (ICs) and export performance (ExPf), as well as the mediating effects of cost leadership and cost focus competitive strategies among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Mozambique. Based on empirical survey data collected from 250 SME managers in Mozambique, we utilized Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. Findings demonstrate that both cost leadership and cost focus competitive strategies partially mediate the ICs-ExPf relationship. Furthermore, these competitive strategies enhance the direct effect of ICs on export performance. These results suggest that SMEs from emerging countries, such as Mozambique, can effectively develop ICs and leverage cost leadership and cost focus advantages to successfully compete in international markets. The implications of this study are significant for owners and managers of SMEs from emerging countries, as it provides valuable insights into the impact of cost leadership and cost focus advantages of firms’ innovation capabilities. By understanding these relationships, SMEs can make more informed decisions and adopt more effective management approaches when seeking to compete in internationally, particularly among SMEs in emerging countries.
- Internationalisation of the firm theories: a schematic synthesisPublication . Ribau, Cláudia; Moreira, Antonio; Raposo, MárioThis article carries out an integrative analysis of internationalisation theories. The most important contributions to the literature on internationalisation theories are used to create a schematic table giving a framework overview. This approach shows the high-level interaction of the literature, covering all internationalisation theories, their focus and basic assumptions, while at the same time showing their historical timeline. We identify the main schools of thought – ranging from economics based to integrative models – using an analysis that begins in the 18th century and ends in the 21st century with the most recent trends in internationalisation theories. This schematic and integrative analysis aims to support the academic community in their research on business internationalisation.
- Green supply chain practices in the plastics industry in Portugal: rhe moderating effects of traceability, ecocentricity, environmental culture, environmental uncertainty, competitive pressure, and social responsibilityPublication . Moreira, Antonio; Ribau, Cláudia; Rodrigues, Carolina da Silva FerreiraThe proper use of resources in an industrial environment is crucial for the sustainability of the industry and the planet. As the supply chain is important for improving companies’ environmental performance, this article measures the impact of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices on the environmental performance of companies in the plastics industry in Portugal. Environmental culture, environmental uncertainty, competitive pressure, ecocentricity, social responsibility in procurement and value chain traceability were used to moderate the relationship between GSCM and environmental performance. Using seven regression models via partial least squares structural equation modeling, it was possible to test the six moderators referred to above. The results demonstrate that GSCM practices have a positive impact on companies’ environmental performance; however, the moderating effects tested proved not to be statistically significant. The immediate consequences for firms are clear: it is mandatory for them to implement an environmental, ecocentric culture if they want to manage the socio-environmental challenges of procurement and the traceability of the supply chain; only then will they be able to deal with both environmental uncertainty and the competitive pressures of supply chain sustainability. The biggest current challenges lie in the rational use of plastic resources and their reuse, either by the industry or by the end user, in terms of conscientious consumption and correct routing for their reuse. According to the natural resource-based theory, it is possible to claim that firms have capabilities but lack the resources to cope with environmental challenges they are facing to properly internalize the changes and to implement them across the supply chain.
- Categorising the internationalisation of SMEs with social network analysisPublication . Ribau, Cláudia; Moreira, Antonio; Raposo, MárioThis paper analyses the internationalisation of SMEs highlighting the importance of social network analysis (SNA) to display the main categories involved in SME internationalisation research. Methodologically, the paper uses a systematic review of the literature as a departure point to select the main papers on the internationalisation of SMEs and uses SNA to illustrate the main categories that have been used by researchers to identify how sectoral studies (manufacturing vs. service firms and single vs. multiple industry) have evolved and to identify the geographical origins of the papers carried out on SME internationalisation. This study is useful for researchers and academic community alike as it embeds the three main categories found (internationalisation theories, international strategy and performance) using SNA methodology.