6. Conclusion, limitations and implications Results
show that a stronger engagement with trade associations located at the company’s export market has a positive effect on export performance. Environmental uncertainty on customer needs is confirmed as an export performance barrier, but unexpectedly, this obstacle only diminishes in a negligible factor as the level of engagement with trade associations located at the firm’s export market increases. Our results are a novel measure of an unaccounted phenomena and challenge current assumptions by pointing out that the cutback on environmental uncertainty on customer needs is not the most relevant product of engaging with a foreign trade association.
It is the task of further study and measurement to pave the way into a clearer conceptualization on why the effect of trade association engagement on the reduction of environmental uncertainty as a barrier to export performance is not more significant (Ågerfalk, 2014). Future research could use qualitative analysis in order to grasp an in-depth understanding on how and why this results emerges. How and why questions demand a more exhaustive approach and may require extensive interviews with general managers.
Some of the research questions that our study unleashes are: Under which circumstances a relationship with an overseas trade association can be profitable or harmful for the firm´s export performance? Why are firms motivated to engage with foreign networks? What factors deter firms from engaging with an overseas trade association? How are formal institutional networks such as foreign trade associations and local informal social networks intertwined? Which networks contribute more to export performance? Are the benefits from trade association engagement sustainable? Why is the moderating effect of engagement on environmental uncertainty customer needs almost negligible? Specifically, how does trade association engagement impact export performance? Is it mostly by the generation of new opportunities? Is it by the elimination of the liability of outsidership? These aspects need further consideration. In addition, a deeper look into the cost-benefit ratio within cooperative venues is also required.
