Export Intermediary Firms: A Note on Export Development Research

Building on Leonidou and Katsikeas' (1996) recent review of the export development literature, we identify an important missing link in existing research: the role of export intermediaries as an organizational form connecting domestic manufacturers and foreign buyers. In response, a new research agenda drawing on the transaction cost and resource-based perspectives is advanced. This agenda focuses on why export intermediaries are selected by manufacturers in their channel choice decisions, and why some intermediaries outperform others. The paper closes with discussions of research, practice, and public policy implications.