Investigating the Effect of Export Promotion Programs on Export Commitment with the Mediating Role of Export Knowledge (Case Study: Companies Active in the Field of Food Product Exports)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Management, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran

Abstract

Food product exports, as one of the main pillars of economic development and diversification of a country's foreign exchange resources, require sustained export commitment and specialized knowledge to manage international markets effectively. Given the critical role of export commitment in ensuring the continuity and sustainability of export activities, identifying the key factors that contribute to its enhancement is essential. This study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of method, employing structural equation modeling. The statistical population comprised food-exporting companies exporting to Russia, Türkiye, and Iraq. Using purposive and stratified sampling, 30 companies were selected. Data were collected through a localized standard questionnaire adapted from the study by Heriqbaldi et al. (2025). The questionnaire was distributed to two senior managers involved in export activities in each company, and the average of their responses was considered the final representative score for each company in the analyses. The face and content validity and reliability of the questionnaires were confirmed. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in SmartPLS software. The results showed that export promotion programs have a significant effect on the export commitment with the mediating role of export knowledge. Furthermore, export promotion programs were found to have significant effects on both export commitment and export knowledge, while export knowledge also had a significant effect on export commitment. The findings suggest that targeted investment in export promotion programs and the transformation of received support into practical export knowledge can strengthen companies' sustained commitment to export activities.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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