On the Relationship Between Firm Size and Export Intensity

Abstract

Export marketing literature supports the view that firm size is positively related to export intensity. Although the empirical findings have been mixed, a number of theoretical arguments are used to support this proposition, i.e., international marketing economies of scale, limited managerial and financial resources of small firms, decisionmaker's risk perception. Based on a large survey of the Italian manufacturing industry, the article falsifies the proposition and challenges some widely held assumptions in export marketing literature.