Strategic Orientation and the Success of Exporting Companies

The process of globalization and the formation of new competitive environment have not only led to the necessity of export for the economy of nations, but also to the survival and growth of many companies. The type of a company's strategic orientation is considered as one of the most important factors for export success. Among them is proactive versus reactive orientation. Being proactive is defined as a managerial understanding, in which an organization can affect its destination through the systematic analysis of opportunities and threats. On the other hand, being reactive indicates low levels of demand analysis and market research of an organization. It is expected that exporting companies with proactive strategic orientation enjoy a more successful exporting experience. In contrast, reactive strategic orientation undermines the export success of a company. Accordingly, the conceptual model of this study was formulated and four hypotheses were established based on this conceptual model. Through the data collected by a questionnaire from a sample of 34 exporting companies located in Mashhad (Iran), and then using regression analysis, the results obtained showed that proactive strategic orientation has a positive effect on export success and expected both export success. On the other hand, the negative impacts of reactive strategic orientation on export success and expected export success were rejected.