Strategic choices, export orientation and export performance of SMEs in Nigeria

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of entrepreneurial export orientation on the performance of SMEs in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approach – The study follows a quantitative research design using survey methods with statistical treatment. Several t‐tests and correlation tests were used to ascertain whether differences exist between proactive export orientation and conservative export orientation and performance.Findings – The findings indicate that proactive entrepreneurs were more engaged in the export market than conservatives. The findings also suggest that firms that adopted proactive orientation achieved higher performance, profitability, and growth compared with those that adopted a conservative orientation. It was also found that proactive entrepreneurs allocated more financial resources for export activities than conservative entrepreneurs.Research limitations/implications – The research was limited to four cities; a broader geographic sampling to include larger urban...

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