The impact of cognitive and behavioral factors on the export performance: a dynamic capabilities perspective

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how individual-level cognitive and organizational-level behavioral factors influence the level of firms' export performance as firms adapt to the challenges of foreign expansion. Design/methodology/approach Based on the literature on dynamic capabilities (DCs) and international business, the study introduces a multi-level model of DC to internationalize and test it empirically on a sample of 93 Polish exporting firms using structural equation modeling. Findings The results show a strong and positive impact of the "strategy as stretch" managerial mind-set on two behavioral elements, namely, business modeling and partnering capability. Global mind-set has a strong and positive impact on business modeling and learning about foreign markets and a negative but insignificant effect on partnering capability. Only two of the three behavioral elements of the conceptualized DC have significant and positive impacts on export performance. In contrast to the expectations, the direct path coefficient from learning about foreign markets to export performance was found to be positive but insignificant. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by offering a coherent, multi-level framework of DCs. The study goes beyond previous conceptualizations of DCs and considers various individual-level cognitive and organizational-level behavioral elements of DC for the internationalization of exporting firms. In particular, this study shows the interplay between them and their combined impact on export performance.