In the context of export performance, e-commerce utilisation stimulates efforts to enhance export performance through product adaptation, communication efficiency, promotion adaptation, superior distribution, and price competitiveness. It is expected that a greater level of utilisation of e-commerce technologies further strengthens the relationship between export marketing strategy and export performance.
The degree of product adaptation is influenced by a firm’s international competence, management commitment to the export venture, legal / regulatory barriers, technology orientation of the industry, and sophistication of the export market infrastructure. It is expected that e-commerce drivers such as product online transferability and e-commerce assets also moderate the nature and strength of these determinants on product adaptation.
Allocation of e-commerce assets for the export business is expected to have a critical impact on communication efficiency. International competence and management commitment to the export venture are also expected to increase the commitment made to communication efficiency in export operations. In addition, technology orientation of the industry and export market infrastructure are also expected to impact the communication efficiency experienced by the export venture.
The degree of promotion adaptation depends on international experience, product uniqueness, management commitment to the export venture, export market competitiveness, technology orientation of industry, legal / regulatory barriers, and sophistication of the export market infrastructure. When e-commerce is integrated into these relationships, environmental variables are expected to have a much stronger influence on promotion adaptation if the export market e-commerce infrastructure is highly developed and / or if demand for e-commerce usage is high.
Support to distributor / subsidiary is expected to be positively influenced by commitment to the export venture, export market competitiveness and technology orientation of the industry. When e-commerce assets are highly developed, these relationships are expected to be strengthened. In addition, when the demand for e-commerce usage is high, it is expected that the impact of product uniqueness, export market competitiveness, technology orientation of industry, and export market infrastructure on distribution support is magnified.