Perceived Export Performance: A Contingent Measurement Approach

Despite considerable research on export performance, relatively little scholarly attention has been devoted to incorporating managers’ perspectives into operationalizing this concept. This study proposes a new approach for measuring small and medium-sized enterprises’ export performance in the presence of multiple, potentially conflicting, goals while accounting for different approaches to assessing export performance. Adopting a contingency approach, the authors develop two customized measures of perceived export performance: the individualized perceived export performance framework and the simplified model. They demonstrate the application of both measures with a sample of 78 exporting small and medium enterprises in New Zealand and compare the outcomes. The proposed frameworks are intended to measure export performance considering managers’ specific priorities and by incorporating manager- and firm-specific differences in the types and importance of goals, indicators, and benchmarks. This article extends the understanding of export performance by proposing a more nuanced and holistic measurement approach that is tailored to individual firms and reflects firm-specific idiosyncrasies.