Antecedents and Consequences of Export Intermediaries’ Customer Orientation : Conceptualization and Propositional Development

Export Intermediaries involve transactions with exporters and importers, both of which are these intermediaries' customers. Therefore, dyadic perspectives implicit in conventional theories of customer orientation should be revised to apply to a triadic relationship framework in indirect export contexts. The present manuscript proposes that an export intermediary's customer orientation consists of summated customer orientation (customer orientation toward both the exporter and importer sides) and asymmetrical customer orientation (customer orientation in favor of the exporter relative to the importer side), and examines the antecedents and outcomes of these orientations. It is posited that importer- (exporter-) side concentration increases summated customer orientation and asymmetrical customer orientation toward exporters (importers). It is also posited that these positive effects are weaker when importers and exporters interact directly versus indirectly and are stronger when the offering prices vary versus remaining stable during negotiations. Finally, it is posited that summated customer orientation increases export intermediaries' performance by itself and in conjunction with customer concentration, but asymmetrical orientation enhances their performance only interaction with customer concentration