Identifying the Effective Dynamic Capabilities on Export Performance

Iran's confectionery and chocolate industry is one of the leading and successful industries in the field of export, which has a significant share of the annual statistics of non-oil exports of the country. In the field of international trade, companies engage in this industry are always faced with an important and fundamental issue of environmental dynamics. The ability to adapt to the dynamics of the competitive environment is of great importance for companies exporting the confectionery and chocolate industry. They must have capabilities that able them to adapt to the dynamics of the environment. Among these capabilities are dynamic capabilities that have the ability to create, integrate, and reconfigure internal and external resources, capabilities, and capacities to adapt to environmental change. The purpose of this study is to identify the dimensions of dynamic capabilities that affect the export performance of confectionery and chocolate companies. For this purpose, a qualitative approach and theme analysis method were used. In this regard, using semi-structured interviews with managers of confectionery and chocolate exporting companies in Tehran province, the main capabilities were identified. Identified dynamic capabilities include competitive intelligence, innovative development, agile approach, rapid product development, technological intelligence, strategic flexibility, knowledge management and market expansion. Exporting firms with these dynamic capabilities are able to sense the dynamics of the competitive environment, seize and use identified opportunities, and respond promptly to environmental threats.