Export manager profile in small and medium-sized enterprises: a gender issue?

Purpose The purpose is to explore the existence of different export manager profiles in terms of managerial attributes and personal traits according to gender. The study aims to answer two research questions: (1) Do export manager profiles differ depending on gender? If so, (2) which are the traits or managerial attributes that differ by gender and which is the relationship among them? Design/methodology/approach The article relies on a quantitative empirical analysis of a sample of export managers of Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Findings Our results point to the existence of gendered export manager profiles that differ in terms of objective managerial attributes, personal traits, managerial styles and subjective perceptions relative to discriminatory practices and detrimental stereotypes. Two gender-specific substitution effects exist: one between managers’ experiential skills and their formal education and the other between managers' entrepreneurial orientation and the use of relational networks. Research limitations/implications Our data are limited in terms of geographical scope and firms size; therefore, our results are no generalizable without new studies on this issue. Practical implications Our findings can help firms to understand the relevance of export teams that encompass different gender managers and benefit from the combination of diverse managerial attributes, personal traits and relational processes in their international growth. Originality/value Gender is an scarcely studied issue in international business and management literature despite its relevance in the international institutional context. This article addresses the gender aspect of export management.