Integrating e-commerce into existing export marketing theories: A contingency model

Current theory on export marketing is based on the assumption that each exporting decision is made in isolation, whereby a set of factors are considered for single market entry only, without the consideration of simultaneous entry into multiple foreign markets. Because e-commerce is able to provide instantaneous access to numerous global markets, recent technological advances force us to rethink whether existing theoretical frameworks are sufficient in explaining today's export marketing strategies. A review of the recent export literature suggests that a new paradigm may be needed to take into consideration the electronic marketplace, both in the process of entering markets, and in the management of operations within those markets. The purpose of this article is to present a model that integrates e-commerce into existing theories on export marketing. Specifically, the aim is to develop a theoretical framework that: (a) extends existing export marketing theories by incorporating ecommerce strategy; (b) proposes a contingency approach to compare and contrast the relationship among environmental variables, export market strategy and export performance; and, (c) provides a clear direction for future research through the development of research propositions investigating the role of e-commerce strategy in the exporting process.