Discussion: View Thread

Journal of Business Research

Special Issue

THE IMPACT OF DIGITALIZATION ON EXPORTING

 

Guest Editors

Keith D. Brouthers

Keith.brouthers@kcl.ac.uk

 

Frauke Mattison Thompson

 

 

Xinming He

xinming.he@durham.ac.uk

 

George Nakos

GeorgeNakos@clayton.edu

 

 

The impact of digitalization on exporting

International business and marketing researchers have a long history of exploring issues related to firm exporting.  Exporting is the most popular form of international involvement in all countries around the world and is often encouraged by policymakers because it has a significant impact on domestic income and employment. Past research has explored issues like differences between exporters and non-exporters (Haddoud et al., 2021), barriers to exporting (Brouthers et al, 2009), how policymakers increase exporting through trade promotion activities (Wilkinson & Brouthers, 2006), country or market selection (Brouthers & Nakos, 2005), the choice of export channel (He, Brouthers & Filatotchev, 2013; Li, He & Sousa, 2017), and export performance (Chen, Sousa & He, 2016). These studies have provided valuable insights about

into

how managers and policymakers can improve exporting. But recent changes in digital technology have introduced new types of competitors (digital businesses) and is

are

 changing the way businesses operate and internationalize (Katsikeas, Leonidou & Zeriti, 2020). In this special issue we explore how digitalization is impacting exporting.

Does digitalization encourage more firms to export? One critical issue that has just begun to be explored is whether digitalization will increase the number of firms exporting. Of course, policymakers hope this is the case since greater exports lead to improved balance of payments, greater domestic employment and increase

increased

tax revenue. But firm managers also like exporting because it is a relatively inexpensive way to expand sales, increase customer

the customer

 base, and potentially improve profits. Recent digital research has begun exploring these issues with papers like Añón Higón and Bonvin (2024), Gong, He and Lengler (2024) and Quarato, Pini, and Positano (2020).

Does digitalization decrease barriers to exporting or increase them? While digitalization promises to open the world to all firms, the reality appears to be very different. Digitalization has decreased some barriers to exporting, reducing the costs and complexity of dealing in foreign markets by being a complementor on an established digital platform such as Amazon or Alibaba, making payments easier through online systems such as Paypal, and easing international communications and translations. Yet digitalization has also generated some additional barriers for firms wishing to internationalize (Meyer et al., 2023). For example, digitalization has generated increased competition as more firms enter foreign markets, barriers related to privacy of customer information, protection of customer rights and other societal differences (Demmers, Weihrauch & Mattison Thompson, 2022; Verbeke & Hutzschenreuter, 2021). How can firms deal with these changes in international barriers?

Does digitalization impact exporting of family firms differently than non-family firms? Family firm researchers have noted a number of differences between family and non-family firms related to international activities (Arregle, Chirico, Kano, Kundu, Majocchi & Schulze, 2021; Debellis, Rondi, Plakoyiannaki & De Massis, 2021). Family firms are often less international and participate less in international activities like joint ventures. But how does digitalization impact these family/non-family differences? Do new digital export channels increase the propensity of family firms to internationalize and protect their socio-emotional wealth?

Does digitalization provide new channels for exporting? Recent literature (Brouthers et al., 2022) suggest

suggests

that digitalization has facilitated the creation of new international sales and distribution channels. A recent review study has shown that digital platforms help businesses go international, although the process is not a straightforward one (Gong, He & Lengler, 2024). These non-traditional channels may help improve export performance, but we know little about (1) how firms choose between these new digital channels, (2) how to make each channel work, and (3) performance differences between these channels.

Does digitalization of exporting make it easier for firms to exit and reenter foreign markets? Research on foreign market exists (Sandberg, Sui & Baum, 2019) and re-entry (Crick, Crick & Chaudhry, 2020; Sousa, He, Lengler & Tang, 2021) have brought to light important dynamics in exporting. Digitalization offers firms a chance to enter former export markets with a new channel that might be better at reaching potential customers. In addition, these new digital channels might replace existing traditional channels in export markets providing a more efficient way to serve these foreign markets.

How can firms use the unique features offered by digital technologies (like eWOM, clicking, sharing, trustmarks) to improve the performance of exporting operations? Recent scholarship (Dong, He, and Blut, 2024) reveals different effects of digital resources, capabilities and strategy on firm export performance. Besides offering new ways to enter foreign markets, digital technologies provide new opportunities for exporting firms to gather information about their customers, gain insights about potential changes in products/services offered, and customize customer communications. How can exporting firms use e-word of mouth, clicking and sharing behaviors to drive increase foreign sales and customer satisfaction? While these is a growing stream of research looking at digital customer engagement (Mattison Thompson & Brouthers, 2021)

,

 few studies directly address the issue of how these features can be used to improve exporting (Rialp, Rialp & López-Belbeze, 2024; Mattison Thompson, Tuzovic & Braun, 2019).   

 

In this special issue, we welcome papers dealing with these and other issues at the intersection of digitalization and exporting.  For example:

 

                                                                             

Review process timeline

Paper submission due date July 1-31, 2025.

First decision on papers - desk rejects or send to reviewers - August 31, 2025.

  

References

Añón Higón, D., & Bonvin, D. (2024). Digitalization and trade participation of SMEs. Small Business Economics, 62(3), 857-877.

Arregle, J. L., Chirico, F., Kano, L., Kundu, S. K., Majocchi, A., & Schulze, W. S. (2021). Family firm internationalization: Past research and an agenda for the future. Journal of International Business Studies, 52(6), 1159-1198.

Brouthers, K. D., Chen, L., Li, S., & Shaheer, N. (2022). Charting new courses to enter foreign markets: Conceptualization, theoretical framework, and research directions on non-traditional entry modes. Journal of International Business Studies, 53(9), 2088.

Brouthers, L. E., & Nakos, G. (2005). The role of systematic international market selection on small firms' export performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 43(4), 363-381.

Brouthers, L. E., Nakos, G., Hadjimarcou, J., & Brouthers, K. D. (2009). Key factors for successful export performance for small firms. Journal of International Marketing, 17(3), 21-38.

Chen, J., Sousa, C. M. P. and He, X. (2016). The determinants of export performance: a review of the literature 2006-2014. International Marketing Review, Vol. 33

(

 No. 5

)

, pp. 626-670.

Crick, J. M., Crick, D., & Chaudhry, S. (2020). Entrepreneurial marketing decision-making in rapidly internationalising and de-internationalising start-up firms. Journal of Business Research, 113, 158-167.

Debellis, F., Rondi, E., Plakoyiannaki, E., & De Massis, A. (2021). Riding the waves of family firm internationalization: A systematic literature review, integrative framework, and research agenda. Journal of World Business, 56(1), 101144.

Demmers, J., Weihrauch, A. N., & Mattison Thompson, F. H. (2022). Your data are (not) my data: The role of social value orientation in sharing data about others. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 32(3), 500-508.

Dong, Y., He, X., and Blut, M. (2024). How and When do Digital Resources, Capabilities, and Strategy Influence Export Performance: A Meta-Analysis, International Marketing Review. ahead-of-print. (https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-02-2024-0044).

Gong, C., He, X., and Lengler, J. (2024). Internationalisation through digital platforms: a systematic review and future research agenda. International Marketing Review, ahead-of-print

41(5), 938-980

ahead-of-print. (https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-08-2023-0213).

He, X., Brouthers, K. D., & Filatotchev, I. (2013). Resource-based and institutional perspectives on export channel selection and export performance. Journal of Management, 39(1), 27-47.

Huddoud, M. Y., Onjewu, A. K. E., Nowiński, W., & Jones, P. (2021). The determinants of SMEs' export entry: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Business Research, 125, 262-278.

Katsikeas, C., Leonidou, L. and Zeriti, A. (2020). Revisiting international marketing strategy in a digital era. International Marketing Review, 37(3), 405-424.

Kim, D., Zhou, K. Z. and Cavusgil, S. T. (2021). E-platform use and exporting in the context of Alibaba: A signaling theory perspective. Journal of International Business Studies, 52, 1-28.

Leonidou, L. C., & Katsikeas, C. S. (2010). Integrative assessment of exporting research articles in business journals during the period 1960–2007. Journal of Business Research, 63(8), 879-887.

Li, M., He, X., & Sousa, C. M. (2017). A review of the empirical research on export channel selection between 1979 and 2015. International Business Review, 26(2), 303-323.

Mattison Thompson, F., & Brouthers, K. D. (2021). Digital consumer engagement: National cultural differences and cultural tightness. Journal of International Marketing, 29(4), 22-44.

Mattison Thompson, F., Tuzovic, S., & Braun, C. (2019). Trustmarks: Strategies for exploiting their full potential in e-commerce. Business Horizons, 62(2), 237-247.

Meyer, K. E., Li, J. T., Brouthers, K. D. and Jean, R. J. (2023). International business in the digital age: Global strategies in a world of national institutions. Journal of International Business Studies, 54(4), 577-598.

Quarato, Fabio, Marco Pini, and Edoardo Positano. (2020). The impact of digitalization on the internationalization propensity of Italian family firms. Corporate Ownership & Control, 17.3: 92-107.

Rialp, A., Rialp, J., & López-Belbeze, P. (2024). Unveiling the dynamics of exporting firms: How social media shapes export costs and relationships. International Business Review, 102326.

Sandberg, S., Sui, S., & Baum, M. (2019). Effects of prior market experiences and firm-specific resources on developed economy SMEs' export exit from emerging markets: Complementary or compensatory?.

compensatory?

Journal of Business Research, 98, 489-502.

Sousa, CMP, He, X., Lengler, J., and Tang, L. (2021). Foreign Market Re-Entry: A Review and Future Research Directions. Journal of International Management, 27(2), 100848.

Verbeke, A., & Hutzschenreuter, T. (2021). The dark side of digital globalization. Academy of Management Perspectives, 35(4), 606-621.

Wilkinson, T., & Brouthers, L. E. (2006). Trade promotion and SME export performance. International Business Review, 15(3), 233-252.