Revisiting export market orientation dimensions in a non-Western context: Contingent effects of channel centralization and environmental uncertainty

Export market orientation is often conceptualized as three behavioral dimensions, namely export market intelligence generation, dissemination, and responsiveness. Prior research suggests that intelligence generation and dissemination facilitate responsiveness to that intelligence, which in turn enhances export performance. However, most studies, relying primarily on Western export settings, implicitly assume that intelligence generation and dissemination exert similar effects across contexts. Consequently, it remains unclear whether these relationships operate similarly in non-Western contexts such as Japan, where consensus-based decision-making, long-term orientation, and the interdependent channel system may influence how export market intelligence is translated into responsiveness activities. Drawing on the resource-based view and contingency theory, this study examines whether intelligence generation or dissemination is more strongly associated with responsiveness and investigates the moderating roles of export channel centralization and environmental uncertainty. The marginal effect analysis of moderators demonstrates that the effects of intelligence generation and dissemination on responsiveness vary across channel and environmental conditions. Additionally, empirical evidence from longitudinal survey data shows that responsiveness contributes to subsequent export sales performance. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of export market orientation and offers useful insights for international business managers.