Main consequences of prior export performance results: an exploratory study of European exporters

Typically the international business literature examines performance exclusively as a dependent variable. This exploratory study intends to discuss the main outcomes of export performance, as it is expressed through the perceptions of European export managers. Based on the results of a cross-national study of Portuguese and British exporting firms, this paper suggests that among the main consequences of previous performance are: (1) performance improvement behavior as a consequence of bad performance, (2) strategy maintenance as a consequence of good performance, (3) market diversification, (4) focus on competition, (5) product diversification, (6) quality, and more attention to (7) macro and (8) micro factors. Future international business research is encouraged to investigate performance as an independent variable.