Abstract
The determinants of firms export performance represent a "big question" in International Business Studies. The purpose of this paper is to provide a solution to this question by analyzing the international competitive performance of small and medium Italian roasting companies and its determinants. The coffee industry has been changed for several years. Despite the increase in international demand and the fact that coffee is one of the Made in Italy symbols, Italian companies are now losing market share in foreign markets . The empirical analysis of six case studies highlighted the critical issues linked to the international business presence and ultimately showed that the loss of competitiveness is due mainly to the lack of "dynamic marketing capabilities", which has effectively prevented the firms to innovate and renewal their value proposition.
References
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Miles M.B., Huberman A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: an expanded sourcebook. Thousand Oask: Sage publications.
Pascucci F. (2013). Strategie di marketing online per il vantaggio competitivo aziendale. Bologna: Società editrice Esculapio.
Passeri, R., Mazzi, C., & Viassone, M. (2014). Il circolo virtuoso tra regional brand e attrattività Regionale: prime evidenze dalle regioni italiane. Piccola Impresa/Small Business, (1).
Patton M.Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Sage Publications, Newbury Park, California.
Pencarelli, T., Cioppi, M., & Forlani, F. (2015). L’impatto del web 2.0 sul marketing delle piccole imprese alberghiere. Piccola Impresa/Small Business, (2).
Peng M.W. (2004). Identifyng the Big Question in International Business Research. Journal of International Business Studies, 35, 2: 99-108
Rouse M., Daellenbach U. (1999). Rethinking research methods for the resource based perspective: isolating sources of sustainable competitive advantage. Strategic Management Journal, 5:5-25
Riviere M., Suder G. (2015). Perspectives on strategic internationalization: developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, article in press, doi:10.1016/j.ibusrew.2015.10.004
Savara T. (2014). Consumer and innovation trends and future growth opportunities in coffee. Ico Coffee Seminar 2014.
Smith Maguire J., Hu D. (2013). Not a simple coffee shop: local, global and glocal dimensions of the consumption of Sturbacks in Cina. Social Identities, 19: 670-684, doi:10.1080/13504630.2013.835509
Teece, D.J. (2014). A dynamic capabilities entrepreneurial theory of the multinational enterprise. Journal of International Business Studies, 45:8-37, doi:10.1057/jibs.2013.54
Teece, D.J. (2007). Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28: 1319-1350, doi:10.1002/smj.640
Traill B., da Silva J.G. (1996). Measuring international competitiveness: the case of the European food industry. International Business Review, 5: 151-166, doi:10.1016/0969-5931(96)00003-0
Yin R. (2003). Applications of case study research. Londra: Sage Publicatio
Barrales-Molina V., Martinez-Lopez F.J., Gazquez-Abad J.C. (2014). Dynamic marketing capabilities: toward an integrative framework. International Journal of Management Review, 16: 397-416, doi:10.111/ijmr.12026
Bertoli G., Resciniti R. (2013). Made in Italy e country of origin effect. Mercati e Competitività, 2: 13-36
Borin A., Lamieri M. (2007). Misurare la qualità dei beni nel commercio internazionale. In: Lanza A. e Quintieri B., a cura di, L’export italiano alla sfida della qualità, Rubbettino Editore, Cosenza.
Brouthers L.E., Nakos G. (2005). The role of systematic international market selection on small firms’ export performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 43: 363–381, doi:10.1111/j.1540-627X.2005.00142.x
Bruni D.S., Verona G. (2009). Dynamic marketing capabilities in science-based firms: an exploratory investigation of the pharmaceutical industry. British Journal of Management, 20: 101-117, doi:10.111/j.1467-8551.2008.00615.x
Buckley P.J., Pass C.L., Prescott K. (1988). Measures of international competitiveness: a critical survey. Journal of Marketing Management, 4: 175-200, doi:10.1080/0267257X.1988.9964068
Cedrola E., Battaglia L. (2011). Piccole e medie imprese e internazionalità: strategie di business, relazioni e innovazione. Sinergie, 85: 71-92
Ciambotti, M., & Palazzi, F. (2015). Medie imprese italiane: un'indagine sui valori d'impresa. Piccola Impresa/Small Business, (1).
Cioppi, M., & Buratti, A. (2014). La dimensione relazionale nei siti web delle agenzie di viaggio on-line. Piccola Impresa/Small Business, (2).
de Luca P., Pegan G. (2013). I coffee shop italiani nel quadro competitivo internazionale: una ricerca qualitativa sul mercato USA. Atti del X° Convegno Annuale della Società Italiana di Marketing
Depperu D. (2006). La competitività internazionale delle imprese. Milano: Il Sole 24 Ore.
Denzin N.K., Lincoln Y.s. (1994). Introduction: entering the field of qualitative research. In N.K. Denzin & Y.S. Lincoln (eds.), Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oasks: Sage Publications
De Massis A., Kotlar J. (2014). The case study method in family business research: guidelines for qualitative scholarship. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 5:15-29, doi:10.1016/j.jfbs.2014.01.007.
Dhanaraj C., Beamish P.W. (2003). A resource-based approach to the study of export performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 4: 242-261, doi:10.1111/1540-627X.00080
Eisenhardt K.M. (1989). Building theory from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14, 4: 532-550, doi: 10.5465/AMR.1989.4308385.
Eriksson T. (2014). Processes, antecedents and outcomes of dynamic capabilities. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 30: 65-82, doi:10.1016/j.scaman.2013.05.001
Fahy J. (2002). A resource-based analysis of sustainable competitive advantage in a global environment. International Marketing Review, 11: 57-77, doi:10.1016/S0969-5931(01)00047-6
Giuli M. (2014). Evoluzione dell’espresso nel mondo: da prodotto italiano a prodotto globale. In Giuli M., Pascucci F. Il ritorno alla competitività dell’espresso italiano. Situazione attuale e prospettive future per le imprese della torrefazione di caffè. Milano: Franco Angeli
Kang J., Tang L., Lee J.Y., Bosselman R.H. (2012). Understanding consumer behaviour in name-brand Korean coffee shop: the role of self-congruity and functional congruity. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31: 809-818, doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2011.09.017.
Labbe D., Ferrage A., Rytz A., Pace J., Martin N. (2015). Pleasantness, emotions and perceptions induced by coffee beverage experience depend on the consumption motivation. Food Quality and Preference, 44: 56-61, doi: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.03.017
Leonard-Barton D. (1992). Core capabilities and core rigidities: a paradox in managing new product development. Strategic Management Journal, 13 (special issue): 111-125, doi: 10.1002/smj.4250131009.
Maguire J.S., Hub D. (2013). Not a simple coffee shop: local, global and glocal dimensions of the consumption of Starbucks in China. Social Identities: Journal for Race, Nation and Culture, 19, 5: 670-684, doi:10.1080/13504630.2013.835509.
Miles M.B., Huberman A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: an expanded sourcebook. Thousand Oask: Sage publications.
Pascucci F. (2013). Strategie di marketing online per il vantaggio competitivo aziendale. Bologna: Società editrice Esculapio.
Passeri, R., Mazzi, C., & Viassone, M. (2014). Il circolo virtuoso tra regional brand e attrattività Regionale: prime evidenze dalle regioni italiane. Piccola Impresa/Small Business, (1).
Patton M.Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Sage Publications, Newbury Park, California.
Pencarelli, T., Cioppi, M., & Forlani, F. (2015). L’impatto del web 2.0 sul marketing delle piccole imprese alberghiere. Piccola Impresa/Small Business, (2).
Peng M.W. (2004). Identifyng the Big Question in International Business Research. Journal of International Business Studies, 35, 2: 99-108
Rouse M., Daellenbach U. (1999). Rethinking research methods for the resource based perspective: isolating sources of sustainable competitive advantage. Strategic Management Journal, 5:5-25
Riviere M., Suder G. (2015). Perspectives on strategic internationalization: developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, article in press, doi:10.1016/j.ibusrew.2015.10.004
Savara T. (2014). Consumer and innovation trends and future growth opportunities in coffee. Ico Coffee Seminar 2014.
Smith Maguire J., Hu D. (2013). Not a simple coffee shop: local, global and glocal dimensions of the consumption of Sturbacks in Cina. Social Identities, 19: 670-684, doi:10.1080/13504630.2013.835509
Teece, D.J. (2014). A dynamic capabilities entrepreneurial theory of the multinational enterprise. Journal of International Business Studies, 45:8-37, doi:10.1057/jibs.2013.54
Teece, D.J. (2007). Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28: 1319-1350, doi:10.1002/smj.640
Traill B., da Silva J.G. (1996). Measuring international competitiveness: the case of the European food industry. International Business Review, 5: 151-166, doi:10.1016/0969-5931(96)00003-0
Yin R. (2003). Applications of case study research. Londra: Sage Publicatio
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