IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0241670.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unleashing the importance of creativity, experience and intellectual capital in the adaptation of export marketing strategy and competitive position

Author

Listed:
  • Salman Ali
  • Guihua Li
  • Yousaf Latif

Abstract

Export marketing strategy has become an exciting research topic in strategic management literature because of its momentous role in sustainable competitive advantage and performance of firms. However, it is not yet recognized what factors enable top management team in adaptation of the export marketing strategy. This research aims to unleash how the intangible skills; creativity, business experience and intellectual capital facilitate marketing managers in adaptation of the expert marketing strategy (product, price, promotion and distribution) that can spur sustainable competitive performance. We collected data from 293 SMEs and used structural equation modeling for testing the hypotheses. The results indicate that the intangible skills; creativity, experience and intellectual capital do not directly contribute to sustainable competitive performance. However, creativity has a significant influence on product, price, promotion and distribution strategy, experience has a significant influence on product, price and promotion strategy and intellectual capital is only a significant predictor of product strategy. In the dimensions of export marketing strategy, product, price and distribution significantly while promotion does not significantly contribute to sustainable competitive performance. Moreover, export marketing strategy adaptation fully mediates the relationship between creativity and sustainable competitive performance as well as between experience and sustainable competitive performance while it does not mediate the path between intellectual capital and sustainable competitive performance. The findings recommend SMEs to emphasize highly skilled marketing staff who have competencies (experience, creative and intellectual) in order to build an effective export marketing strategy—resulting sustainable competitive performance. Further implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Salman Ali & Guihua Li & Yousaf Latif, 2020. "Unleashing the importance of creativity, experience and intellectual capital in the adaptation of export marketing strategy and competitive position," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-26, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0241670
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241670
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0241670
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0241670&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0241670?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Giuseppe Arcuri & Nadine Levratto, 2020. "Early stage SME bankruptcy: does the local banking market matter?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 421-436, February.
    2. Zheng Jane Zhao & Clint Chadwick, 2014. "What we will do versus what we can do: The relative effects of unit-level NPD motivation and capability," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(12), pages 1867-1880, December.
    3. Luis Filipe Lages & Sandy D Jap & David A Griffith, 2008. "The role of past performance in export ventures: a short-term reactive approach," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(2), pages 304-325, March.
    4. Sher Zaman Khan & Qing Yang & Abdul Waheed, 2019. "Investment in intangible resources and capabilities spurs sustainable competitive advantage and firm performance," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(2), pages 285-295, March.
    5. Castillo-Vergara, Mauricio & Alvarez-Marin, Alejandro & Placencio-Hidalgo, Dario, 2018. "A bibliometric analysis of creativity in the field of business economics," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 1-9.
    6. Ling-yee, Li & Ogunmokun, Gabriel O., 2001. "The influence of interfirm relational capabilities on export advantage and performance: an empirical analysis," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 399-420, August.
    7. Ma Degong & Farid Ullah & Muhammad Sualeh Khattak & Muhammad Anwar, 2018. "Do International Capabilities and Resources Configure Firm’s Sustainable Competitive Performance? Research within Pakistani SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, November.
    8. Shu, Rui & Ren, Shenggang & Zheng, Yi, 2018. "Building networks into discovery: The link between entrepreneur network capability and entrepreneurial opportunity discovery," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 197-208.
    9. Amaya Rivas, Adriana & Chen, Yen-Chun & Yang, Ta-Kai, 2020. "Entrepreneurial and alliance orientation alignment in new product development," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    10. Ferreira, Jorge & Coelho, Arnaldo & Moutinho, Luiz, 2020. "Dynamic capabilities, creativity and innovation capability and their impact on competitive advantage and firm performance: The moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 92.
    11. Delgado-Verde, Miriam & Martín-de Castro, Gregorio & Amores-Salvadó, Javier, 2016. "Intellectual capital and radical innovation: Exploring the quadratic effects in technology-based manufacturing firms," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 35-47.
    12. Muhammad Anwar & Sher Zaman Khan & Najib Ullah Khan, 2018. "Intellectual Capital, Entrepreneurial Strategy and New Ventures Performance: Mediating Role of Competitive Advantage," Business & Economic Review, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan, vol. 10(1), pages 63-94, March.
    13. Jaideep Prabhu & Paul Tracey & Magda Hassan, 2017. "Marketing to the poor: an institutional model of exchange in emerging markets," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 7(3), pages 101-122, December.
    14. Dayan, Mumin & Di Benedetto, C. Anthony, 2011. "Team intuition as a continuum construct and new product creativity: The role of environmental turbulence, team experience, and stress," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 276-286, March.
    15. Tommaso Pucci & Christian Simoni & Lorenzo Zanni, 2015. "Measuring the relationship between marketing assets, intellectual capital and firm performance," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 19(3), pages 589-616, August.
    16. Cheng, Cong & Yang, Monica, 2019. "Creative process engagement and new product performance: The role of new product development speed and leadership encouragement of creativity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 215-225.
    17. Yang Songling & Muhammad Ishtiaq & Muhammad Anwar & Hamid Ahmed, 2018. "The Role of Government Support in Sustainable Competitive Position and Firm Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-17, September.
    18. Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Katsikeas, Constantine S. & Coudounaris, Dafnis N., 2010. "Five decades of business research into exporting: A bibliographic analysis," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 78-91, March.
    19. Muhammad Haseeb & Hafezali Iqbal Hussain & Sebastian Kot & Armenia Androniceanu & Kittisak Jermsittiparsert, 2019. "Role of Social and Technological Challenges in Achieving a Sustainable Competitive Advantage and Sustainable Business Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-23, July.
    20. Morgan, Neil A. & Slotegraaf, Rebecca J. & Vorhies, Douglas W., 2009. "Linking marketing capabilities with profit growth," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 284-293.
    21. Majocchi, Antonio & Bacchiocchi, Emanuele & Mayrhofer, Ulrike, 2005. "Firm size, business experience and export intensity in SMEs: A longitudinal approach to complex relationships," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 14(6), pages 719-738, December.
    22. Klaus-Peter Wiedmann & Franziska Labenz & Janina Haase & Nadine Hennigs, 2018. "The power of experiential marketing: exploring the causal relationships among multisensory marketing, brand experience, customer perceived value and brand strength," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 25(2), pages 101-118, March.
    23. Lages, Luis Filipe & Mata, Jose & Griffith, David A., 2013. "Change in international market strategy as a reaction to performance decline," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(12), pages 2600-2611.
    24. Qianwei Ying & Hazrat Hassan & Habib Ahmad, 2019. "The Role of a Manager’s Intangible Capabilities in Resource Acquisition and Sustainable Competitive Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guowei Li & Zhe Luo & Muhammad Anwar & Yuqiu Lu & Xiantao Wang & Xuening Liu, 2020. "Intellectual capital and the efficiency of SMEs in the transition economy China; Do financial resources strengthen the routes?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(7), pages 1-25, July.
    2. Muhammad Anwar & Shuangjie Li, 2021. "Spurring competitiveness, financial and environmental performance of SMEs through government financial and non-financial support," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7860-7882, May.
    3. Muhammad Sualeh Khattak & Rizwan Ullah, 2021. "The role of entrepreneurial orientation in tangible and intangible resource acquisition and new venture growth," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(6), pages 1619-1637, September.
    4. Yuqiu Lu & Guowei Li & Zhe Luo & Muhammad Anwar & Yunju Zhang, 2021. "Does Intellectual Capital Spur Sustainable Competitive Advantage and Sustainable Growth?: A Study of Chinese and Pakistani Firms," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440219, February.
    5. Qianwei Ying & Hazrat Hassan & Habib Ahmad, 2019. "The Role of a Manager’s Intangible Capabilities in Resource Acquisition and Sustainable Competitive Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, January.
    6. Silva, Graça Miranda & Styles, Chris & Lages, Luis Filipe, 2017. "Breakthrough innovation in international business: The impact of tech-innovation and market-innovation on performance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 391-404.
    7. Asem Alkahtani & Norfarah Nordin & Rizwan Ullah Khan, 2020. "Does government support enhance the relation between networking structure and sustainable competitive performance among SMEs?," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, December.
    8. Sher Zaman Khan & Qing Yang & Najib Ullah Khan & Sonia Kherbachi & Martina Huemann, 2020. "Sustainable social responsibility toward multiple stakeholders as a trump card for small and medium‐sized enterprise performance (evidence from China)," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1), pages 95-108, January.
    9. Abdul Waheed & Qingyu Zhang, 2022. "Effect of CSR and Ethical Practices on Sustainable Competitive Performance: A Case of Emerging Markets from Stakeholder Theory Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(4), pages 837-855, February.
    10. Singh, Deeksha A., 2009. "Export performance of emerging market firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 321-330, August.
    11. María del Pilar Casado-Belmonte & Gema María Marín-Carrillo & Eduardo Terán-Yépez & María de las Mercedes Capobianco-Uriarte, 2020. "What Is Going on with the Research into the Internationalization of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)? An Intellectual Structure Analysis into the State-of-the-Art (1990–2018)," Publications, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-30, February.
    12. Chen, Jian-xun & Zhang, Bo & Zhan, Wu & Sharma, Piyush & Budhwar, Pawan & Tan, Hui, 2022. "Demystifying the non-linear effect of high commitment work systems (HCWS) on firms’ strategic intention of exploratory innovation: An extended resource-based view," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    13. Warit Wipulanusat & Jirapon Sunkpho & Rodney Anthony Stewart, 2021. "Effect of Cross-Departmental Collaboration on Performance: Evidence from the Federal Highway Administration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, May.
    14. Luis Filipe Lages, 2016. "VCW—Value Creation Wheel: Innovation, technology, business, and society," Nova SBE Working Paper Series wp600, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics.
    15. Sora Lee & Jaewon Yoo, 2021. "Determinants of a Firm’s Sustainable Competitive Advantages: Focused on Korean Small Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, January.
    16. HMJCB Heenkenda & Fengju Xu & KMMCB Kulathunga & WAR Senevirathne, 2022. "The Role of Innovation Capability in Enhancing Sustainability in SMEs: An Emerging Economy Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-22, August.
    17. Eleonora Di Maria & Roberto Ganau, 2014. "Driving a firmÕs export propensity and export intensity: the role of experience, innovation, and international marketing strategy," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0175, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    18. Juan M. Gil-Barragan & María José López-Sánchez, 2021. "The Fast Lane of Internationalization of Latin American SMEs: A Location-Based Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-20, March.
    19. Najib Ullah Khan & Shuangjie Li & Muhammad Nabeel Safdar & Zia Ullah Khan, 2019. "The Role of Entrepreneurial Strategy, Network Ties, Human and Financial Capital in New Venture Performance," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, March.
    20. Roxana-Gabriela Mozolea & Sorin Gabriel Anton, 2021. "The Impact of Investments in Intangible Assets and Implications on SMEs’ Performance. A Systematic Literature Review," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(2), pages 1060-1071, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0241670. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.