Exporting is a popular entry strategy into foreign markets, but many firms that
could export do not. One barrier to effective exporting may be uncertainty about
the foreign environment. This article examines the perceptions of export
executives regarding the foreign environment and decision-making uncertainty and
their effects on satisfaction and economic performance in the export channel. A
mail survey was received from 118 firms involved with exporting agricultural
commodities. The results suggest that firms perceive environmental uncertainty
and decision-making uncertainty to be greater in export channels than in
domestic channels and that these types of uncertainty affect satisfaction and
performance. Specifically, environmental dynamism and decision-making
uncertainty negatively influenced satisfaction and performance in the export
channel, while environmental complexity positively influenced performance.
Managerial implications are discussed.
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