Importer commitment drivers and their impact on performance: a resource-based perspective

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a dominant role in emerging economies. However, most studies on buyer-seller relationship behaviour have focussed on the larger firms from developed countries with little attention being given to SMEs' import behaviour, especially those from emerging economies. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper presents findings of an empirical study conducted in an Asian emerging economy on the commitment relationships of SME importers with their foreign suppliers. Primary data were collected through a mail survey of 168 SMEs. The findings indicate that communication, knowledge and a sustainable competitive advantage are significant predictors of importer commitment; whilst cultural similarity has an impact on communication and knowledge with commitment having a direct impact on performance.