Designing an Impact Model of Export Market Orientation and Product Design Management on Export Performance of Iranian Handicraft Exporting Companies

Due to the growth of world trade, companies try to enter foreign markets in various ways and maximize their profits while selling, one of the most common methods being export. The main purpose of the present study is to present a dynamic model for explaining the impact of export marketization and product design management on export performance of Iranian handicraft exporting companies. Semi-structured interview and thematic analysis were used to collect and analyze the research data, respectively. The statistical population of the study includes senior managers, expert experts of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Crafts of Iran and exemplary exporters of Tehran province. The validity of the research findings was ensured by using member, triangular, and paired survey methods. Reliability test was used to test the reliability. Based on the results of the research, product design management and market orientation were identified as the main pillars of handicraft exports. The results of the theme analysis also resulted in the extraction of 7 components for export marketization that were classified into four subgroups or themes. Identified themes include author branding, exhibition marketing, virtual marketing and export marketing strategy. The sub-themes came in the form of a main theme as export marketization. The results of this study can be used by export companies as well as export facilitators.