Networks and export performance of agri-food firms: New evidence linking micro and macro determinants

Serrano, Raúl (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Acero Fraile, Isabel (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Férnandez-Olmos, Marta (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: This paper complements a new line of research that includes firm heterogeneity in trade models. The central idea of this research is that only the largest and most efficient firms are capable of exporting. However, empirical evidence has confirmed that a large number of SMEs is also involved in internationalisation. Given this context, the aim of this paper is to analyse the influence of collaborative networks between firms and institutions as an alternative mechanism to the small size of the majority of the firms in the agri-food industry. To this end, we used a longitudinal panel between 1994 and 2012 comprising a sample of 342 Spanish firms involved in the business sectors of the food, meat, drink and tobacco industries, and we implemented a dynamic Heckman-Probit model. The first stage studies the positive influence of collaborative networks in firms’ decision to export and the second stage analyses the effect of cooperation mechanisms on export intensity. The results show a positive effect of business cooperation networks in both stages suggesting that SMEs can overcome the barrier of their small size in their internationalisation process through other mechanisms, such as collaborative networks.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.17221/71/2015-AGRICECON

Año: 2016

Publicado en: Agricultural Economics-Zemedelska Ekonomika 62, 10 (2016), 459-470
ISSN: 0139-570X

Factor impacto JCR: 0.789 (2016)

Categ. JCR: ECONOMICS rank: 197 / 347 = 0.568 (2016) - Q3 - T2
Categ. JCR: AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS & POLICY rank: 12 / 17 = 0.706 (2016) - Q3 - T3

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.564 - Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) (Q2)

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Organización de Empresas (Dpto. Direcc.Organiza.Empresas)