The influence of innovation on international new ventures’ exporting in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries

Abstract

Objective: The main objective of the article is to confirm the relationship between the innovativeness of new ventures and exporting. Based on the Oslo Manual, which indicates four main types of innovation, we analysed the innovation processes in firms and the impact of particular categories of innovation on export odds.

Research Design & Methods: Apart from the literature review and its criticism, the article is based on data collected by the BEEPS, conducted among enterprises located in post-communist countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. After an appropriate selection procedure, 906 ventures were finally picked. For this purpose, five logit models were created to determine the chances for export, depending on the type of innovation implemented in each enterprise.

Findings: The likelihood of export in ventures is higher when it implements process and organisational innovations. Research results show that the implementation of organisational innovations by ventures increases the likelihood of export more than twice, while in the case of process innovations – about one and a half times.

Implications & Recommendations: he importance of process and organisational innovations in ventures seems to play an important role in explaining the odds of their export. We recommend that future studies focus on explaining the lack of impact of product innovations and the negative relation of marketing innovations on the export propensity of ventures.

Contribution & Value Added: The article enriches the ongoing scientific discourse on the role of innovation in determining the export odds of ventures.

Keywords

innovation, export, startups, international new ventures, international entrepreneurship, internationalisation

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