The Mediating Role Of Global Export Mindset: Global Capabilities, Networks, And Global Export Mindset In Emerging Market Small And Medium Enterprises

Research on export performance has extensively examined the roles of export orientation, global networks, and dynamic capabilities in enhancing firms’ export outcomes, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, existing studies largely rely on direct-effect approaches and provide limited explanation of the internal mechanisms through which external resources and organizational capabilities are transformed into export performance. Moreover, the literature tends to treat global mindset, strategic cognition, and export orientation as separate constructs, resulting in fragmented insights and inconsistent empirical findings. Addressing these gaps, this study proposes the development and empirical examination of Global Export Strategic Mindset (GESM) as a conceptually derived construct that functions as a strategic mechanism linking global network and global dynamic capability to export performance. GESM is conceptualized as a cross-level strategic capability that integrates managerial global perspective, strategic cognitive processing, and organizational commitment to exporting. Operationally, GESM is modeled as a higher-order construct comprising three dimensions: Global Strategic Cognition, Strategic Export Commitment, and Global–Local Strategic Integration. This study adopts a quantitative, explanatory research design. Data are planned to be collected through a survey of exporting SMEs in Indonesia and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the proposed structural relationships and the mediating role of GESM. The proposed research is expected to contribute to export performance and internationalization literature by providing a mechanism-based explanation of how global resources and capabilities are converted into effective export strategies, while offering practical insights for strengthening the strategic capacity of SMEs in emerging economies.