IDENTIFYING MANAGERIAL INFLUENCES ON EXPORTING - PAST RESEARCH AND FUTURE-DIRECTIONS

Research on exporting frequently stresses the role of managerial chara cteristics as influences on the export behavior of the firm. This arti cle reviews the conceptual, methodological, and empirical insights gai ned from a systematic analysis of 46 studies conducted on this subject . Undoubtedly, this stream of research has enhanced understanding of t he importance of managerial elements in affecting exporting activities . However, conceptually this research is still in its exploratory phas e of development, lacking an integral theoretical framework. Certain m ethodological limitations are also identified, especially with respect to sampling designs, fieldwork procedures, and analytical methods. Em pirically, hypothesized associations between managerial factors and ex port dimensions lead to diverse and sometimes conflicting findings, ex cept for attributes of a general-subjective nature that demonstrate a consistently strong relationship with exporting-particularly in relati on to the firm's propensity to export. The review reaches certain sign ificant conclusions and suggests directions for future research in the field.