Drivers of the implementation of strategies in Latin American firms’ export performance

This study examines the relationships among competitive strategies (differentiation and cost‐leadership), MO (market orientation), and export performance. We used a questionnaire survey of executives of manufacturing and service companies in Peru, Brazil, Mexico and Chile and employed a structural model equation to test the hypotheses and confirmatory factor analysis to develop the underlying multi-item constructs. We find that MO mediates the implementation of competitive strategies in export performance. Additionally, differentiation strategy have a greater impact on MO than cost strategy. We conclude with implications and future research