Linking Entrepreneurial Orientation and Export Intensity: How Organizational Learning Capability and Innovation Performance affect this relationship?

Abstract Firms that partake in export activity are entrepreneurial in nature because exporting firms would benefit by proactively seeking new markets, engaging in innovative action to meet local market’s needs, and be able and willing to take risks by venturing into previously unknown markets. While prior studies have looked at the importance of entrepreneurial orientation, organizational learning or innovation in export strategy, they have overlooked the process view that allows understanding the way through which firms with this kind of characteristics are able to assure better export results. Through the use of structural equation modelling in a sample of 182 small and medium enterprises ceramic firms, the authors demonstrate that entrepreneurial orientation is a precursor of export intensity but this relationship is mediated by organizational learning and innovation performance. This result highlights the process view; those firms with entrepreneurial orientation are able to have the capability of learning and superior innovation performance which finally increases export intensity. Political implications could be done with our study. Governments that reinforce innovation policies in the firms are helping the openness of the companies indirectly.