The drivers of performance of exporting SMEs: The role of entry timing and initial speed

Despite the number of studies investigating the drivers of performance of incremental exporters and born globals (BGs), extant research has not clarified the relationship between early internationalisation, initial speed and performance of exporting small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Through a mixed method research, the authors investigate the impact of individual, organizational and strategic drivers on performance of exporting SMEs, by introducing two new elements pertaining the international strategy: the “earliness” and the “rapidity” at the entry. Results highlight some factors that increase the likelihood that firms achieve superior performance: the founder’s international experience, the firm’s marketing capabilities and the aggressiveness towards international markets in terms of initial intensity. In contrast, entry timing is not significant.