Export intermediation and the internet: an activity-unbundling approach

Purpose - To construct a theoretical framework for understanding the impact of the digitalisation of transactions on the organisation of export intermediation. Design/methodology/approach - This is a conceptual/research paper with a number of illustrative examples - primarily from SMEs. Findings - In the paper, a range of internet-enabled forms of export intermediation are derived, offsetting the conventional trade-off between resource commitment and marketing control. Practical implications - The paper holds a number of relevant insights for export managers seeking to integrate the possibilities of the digital revolution in the organisation of their export marketing activities. These include reshuffling of export marketing tasks among the actors in the marketing channel and new forms of activity specialisation among actors. Originality/value - Using the theoretical framework of Alderson in combination with transaction cost theorizing. The paper provides a novel theoretical approach for understanding the evolution of marketing institutions in the export marketing field.