The impacts of export capabilities on cross-border e-commerce performance: An analysis using PLS-SEM

Cross-border e-commerce is gaining increasing popularity as a foreign market entry mode. However, knowledge on the determinants of cross-border e-commerce performance is scarce and mostly limited to the examination of early-mover advantages. Drawing on the resource-based view, this paper develops a model linking a firm’s export capabilities (IT capabilities, international marketing capabilities, export operations capabilities) to its cross-border e-commerce strategic and financial performance. The model is estimated using data collected from a sample of Italian exporters belonging to the food and beverage industry and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results emphasize the strong impact of IT capabilities. However, the use of e-commerce cross-border platforms instead of the exporter’s own e-commerce websites works as a partial substitute for the direct possession of IT capabilities. In addition, contrary to expectations, the findings show negative effects of both international marketing capabilities and export operations capabilities on cross-border e-commerce financial performance.