Export knowledge

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to study the export knowledge to be the determinant of export strategy, export commitment and export performance in carpet Industry. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative–quantitative approach, the unit of analysis is the individual export venturing firm in India. More in detail, a qualitative analysis was conducted through a focus group interview to explore the challenges of carpet exports. A quantitative analysis was performed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and, because of covariate nature of the proposed research model, structural equation modeling to evaluate the research hypotheses. Findings The results emphasized that Indian carpet exports face major challenges, namely, issues of raw material that is wool, shortage of labor for weaving carpets and a lack of organization which has a negative impact on productivity and quality. Furthermore, this study shows that export knowledge directly influences the export strategy, export commitment and export performance. Originality/value Building on the results, this paper suggests corrective measures, as well as required knowledge, to formulate a strategy and boost the export performance of the carpet sector.