The psychic distance and export performance: a challenge for smes in a globalization era

The objective of this research article is to present an empirical analysis of the relation between the company managers' perception of the psychic distance to international markets and export performance, including a discussion of some of the structural characteristics of companies. A study was carried out in La Araucania region in Chile with a sample consisting of 88 exporting companies, most of which are small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agricultural and forestry sectors. The data was analyzed using Fisher's exact test and analysis of variance. The results show that there is a positive relation between psychic distance and export performance, as well as company size.