Coordination with Foreign Distributors and Export Performance: Moderating Effects of International Experience and Firm Size

The primary objective of this study is to explore how coordination with foreign distributors affects the export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The second objective is to examine how organizational resources (international experience and firm size) serve as moderators of the effect of coordination with foreign distributors on export performance. To test the hypothesized relationship, survey data were collected from Korean exporting SMEs. The results reveal that a high level of coordination with foreign distributors drives improved export performance. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the positive influence of coordination with foreign distributors weakens when firms have a high level of international experience. In essence, this study contributes to the exporting literature by providing insights into the effective distribution-related strategies for SMEs to overcome the challenges they often face in exporting, addressing how and when relations with foreign distributors yield better export performance.