Export Performance Determinants in Small and Medium Enterprises: A Systematic Review of Literature

Abstract

This systematic review examines the determinants of export performance in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across developed and developing economies, synthesizing 88 peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2024. The review maps the export performance literature across three analytical levels: firm-level internal determinants (managerial characteristics, firm competencies, innovation capability), market-level external determinants (host market conditions, cultural distance, institutional environment), and strategy-level determinants (export market selection, entry mode, product adaptation). Resource-based view, institutional theory, and the Uppsala internationalization model are identified as the primary theoretical frameworks employed. The review finds robust evidence that managerial international orientation, export market knowledge, and product quality are the most consistent internal determinants of SME export performance, while institutional distance, trade policy environment, and digital channel availability are the most influential external determinants. The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on SME internationalization trajectories and the role of digital platforms in lowering export barriers for micro-enterprises emerge as significant themes of the post-2019 literature. A future agenda centred on digital export channels, resilient internationalization strategies, and South-South trade dynamics is proposed.