According to the results of our study, one interesting finding was that SMF
change and evolve in positive terms because of their export activities. This evolution
can be attributed to a managerial and organizational learning process derived from
interacting with a more demanding and competitive market, and the need to comply
with stringent contractual obligations that can make the difference between and higher
profits. These findings are in agreement with the Uppsala internationalization model
that is based on the hypothesis that managerial learning acts as a mechanism for
increasing exports along time (Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul, 1975), and is consistent
with Nummela et al. (2006) regarding the need for organizational improvement in
order to become a successful exporter. By giving later on in the exporting process
more importance to several managerial, marketing and logistic aspects, SMF
become more effective and efficient in their activities. Therefore, if SMF managers
were to dispense greater importance to these activities early on in their exporting
465
Export success
factors of smalland
medium-sized
firms in Chile
operations, they would be better prepared to confront the international market from
the start.