Although research on SMEs has shown that various internal and external factors are important for export performance, some scholars argue that for African SMEs, internal factors play a more critical role than external factors. This study examines the relationships between managerial cultural intelligence (CQ), relationship quality and export performance of SMEs in Ghana.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of SME owner/managers’ CQ to the quality of relationships of the firms, and whether the relationship quality is related to export performance.
METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 145 SMEs in Ghana. Structural equation modelling was used to test the research hypotheses.
RESULTS
The results indicated that the CQ of the owner/manager has an impact on both the local and foreign relationship quality of the firm. Furthermore, foreign relationships were found to play a significant role in the export performance of SMEs. However, the quality of the local relationships did not have a significant effect on export performance.
CONCLUSIONS
This research has shown that the CQ of owners and managers and the quality of relationships play an important role in the international performance of SMEs.
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